Had to ask OH this, although I was thinking warbler. Depending where you are, it could be chiffchaff as they are resident down south, although I have heard reports further north. Garden warblers, as far as I know, are only summer migrants.

I'm assuming the beak is quite narrow? Have a look on the RSPB bird id page and see if it looks like what you saw.

Helen

Thank you Helen!

I have looked on the RSPB Identifier, and also in another book I have, and I'm still stumped.

Saw it again today, it is sparrow-sized and very drab, I probably over-estimated the yellowish belly, it's more buff. Definitely no markings, bars, spots, flecks or anything... it certainly does fit the RSPB description of the Garden Warbler as 'having no distinguishing features, in itself a distinguishing feature'!!

It is also not unlike a Robin with no red - another description I have read of the GW.

I wonder if the late warm Autumn we had persuaded some of last year's young to stay behind?

It was very briefly on the table but soon vanished into the shrubs.

If it looked like a garden warbler, it was probably a garden warbler lol. I did a search on a birding forum I lurk on and someone asked whether he would have seen a garden warbler in January. Genearl conscensus was very unlikely, but possible! lol. Someone has heard of 3 sightings of them over winter and apparently, there was one in Cornwall in December.

Helen

My mystery visitor is a female Blackcap!

No wonder she looked like a Garden Warbler, the two species are exactly the same shape and colour bar the top of the head. She has been on the tubs almost all day today, weather is milder so there are fewer starlings coming in, and I saw she had a reddish tinge to the top of the head.

Not a common bird even so, the RSPB site estimates only 3,000 individuals overwinter in the UK. Will report the sighting to Birdtrak as it is one of the species they are monitoring.

Tuppence a bag .:O

I was going to say blackcap but thought they had their caps all the year round!

Mystery solved anyway lol

Helen

An update on my garden birds.

The female Blackcap hasn't been seen for weeks - presumably she's gone back to Germany.

I have just stopped putting out the lardcakes because the birds are now nesting, and it's better they find their own food to take back to any hatchlings.... but up til now they have loved helping themselves.

I see Mr & Mrs Blackbird and oh Mr is soooo stunning, with his jet black plumage and fierce yellow beak - I can't help thinking "I did that, I helped him be this glorious."

For a couple of weeks we've had a pair of Dunnocks in the garden. The male sits high on a bush and sings a pretty warbling song. I remember seeing them in the garden about this time of year, and once saw them mating - Mum said, "Oh look, sparrows having it off!"
But I said "well no....they can't be sparrows as they both look the same... if they were sparrows the male would have a dark head and a black bib."
Oh right, says Mum - maybe they're both girls...?
So I'm afraid these poor Dunnocks are now referred to as Lesbian Sparrows.

Yesterday we saw quite a fight between birds. A Magpie flew out of a tree and onto the roof of a nearby house, chased by a wood pigeon. Once on the roof the Magpie attacked the pigeon and flew at its mate - the Magpie's mate joined in as well. Then the jackdaws living on the roof kicked off at the magpies and drove them away. I saw one wood pigeon sitting on the telephone wire with more than a few feathers out of place, which were preened into place, but a peck from a Magpie must hurt.

The jackdaws were livid and chased both the Mags well away, then all settled down. I am thinking the pigeons have eggs in their nest in the oak tree, and the Jacks may have eggs or even chicks in their chimney nest; and the Mags were looking for dinner. As evil as magpies are, I still love them and admire their intelligence... they are my wolves of the air.

Just a couple of days ago, a teeny tiny BlueTit was on the garden table tugging at a clump of wispy dog wool groomed out of Merlin Fluffyarse, which I'd put there hoping birds might like to help themselves.

He or she tugged and pulled out a little beakfull of the softest warmest fluff available anywhere. It was so lovely to see, and so cute!

I have a picture in my head of the tiniest eggs imaginable, clustered in a little nest of Merlin's undercoat.

Wow, it's all going on in your garden

Dunnocks used to be called hedge sparrows, so your mum is partly right lol.

We've got a GS woodpecker drumming on a telegraph pole at the moment. He goes right to the top and hits the metal bit so it's ultra load. I also hear a green woodpecker around.

A blue tit was checking out our box which they nested in last year, and the jackdaws are back in the barn, above Dusty's stable.

I also saw a mistle thrush carrying nesting material into one of the trees.

Just read it's the official first day of spring and it really feels like it with the daffs out, curlews, lapwing and oystercatchers displaying and everything thinking about nesting. Really love this time of year.

The snipe should be drumming as well, which is a really magical sound. Will have to have a walk up the hill to see if I can hear any.

Helen

Oh wow, your gardens sound like a veritable hotspot of bird life We have 2 feeding stations in our garden, the usual seed, nuts, fatballs and suet blocks etc. And we have loads of birds come visit. HOWEVER, I have to admit this is where I fail. I have no idea what any of them are , apart from the really obvious ones like magpies, robins etc (although my neighbour did tell us we had goldfinches last year ). I'd love to know how to identify them, but whenever I see books in the shops, they are drawings of birds and they never look like the ones I see.

I have quite a few bird id books and I find the drawings a lot easier to use than the photos.

The rspb website is a good place to help as well as it gives various drawings, as well as detailed descriptions on behaviour, breeding etc, which is really useful.

Helen