Despite the prediction I made in my last post, the first half of this month has been strangely lacking in Chiffchaffs. A long walk around my Brussels patch last week didn't turn up any at all but did provide a welcome surprise when I looked up to try to locate a calling Hawfinch and noticed 14 Cranes passing silently overhead! A full day hiking in the Ardennes last weekend didn't turn up any cranes but did give us several sightings of both Red Kite and Raven, as well as my first Tree Sparrows and Bramblings of the year. The latter were feeding together with Chaffinches and Crossbills in an area which was teeming with Siskins, their calls reverberating all around us. It was amazing to listen to and, judging from the noise they were making, I reckon there were possibly several hundred of them even if we only saw a few dozen.
Back on my patch this afternoon, about a week behind schedule, I finally connected with two Chiffchaffs feeding quietly in some waterside trees but I'm still waiting to hear that repetitive chiff-chaff song so typical of spring. The resident birds are in full song, however, including Marsh Tit (below) and even a Firecrest today, whilst other species are busy nesting and the first Egyptian goslings have already hatched!
