Iberian Chiffchaff, Telford 17th April 2016

A singing Iberian Chiffchaff turned up near Telford at Donnington Wood last Sunday 10th April. Since these singing birds often stay around for a few weeks, I was hopeful of of this one sticking around until the following weekend. It did! I made my way over to Telford earlier today, arriving mid-morning with the Iberian Chiffchaff on view only a few minutes after my arrival.

Iberian Chiffchaff twitch at Telford

There were about a dozen birders on site, the bird obligingly singing very loudly & frequently as it moved through a wooded area. Several views were obtained, each time seeing the bird singing, which is really the only sure fire way of identifying an Iberian Chiffchaff.

Yes, in there!

My first new bird of 2016 & the first since the Crag Martin at Chesterfield last November. Some good photos have been posted online during the last week, including this one by Andrew Jordan taken today.

Jim Fassett - Symphony Of The Birds

JIM FASSETT - SYMPHONY OF THE BIRDS (wav/324mb/30mins)

UK, CD Trunk Records (PD227): September 2013. Originally released 1960 by Ficker Records

"Jim Fassett teamed up with CBS technician Mortimer Goldberg to create "Symphony of the Birds", which painstakingly assembled bird call recordings compiled by ornithologists Jerry and Norma Stilwell -- the two men re-recorded the bird calls on tapes at varying speeds, then superimposed multiple playbacks on one tape reel to create the album's dense, swirling sound, which Fassett organized into three separate movements in adherence to symphonic traditions. He premiered "Symphony of the Birds" on the "Strange to Your Ears" radio series." - Allmusic

01. Explanatory Comments by Jim Fassett (6:20)
02. First Movement (Andante E Lirico) (6:49)
03. Second Movement (Buffo) (3:08)
04. Third Movement (Misterioso) (4:16)
A Revelation In Birdsong Patterns
05. Cardinal, Mockingbird, Catbird, Robin, Summer Tanager (8:05)
06. Yellow Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Song Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow (4:10)
07. Carolina Wren, Goldfinch, Indigo Bunting, Purple Finch (4:11)

Twitchers: A Very British Obsession

TWITCHERS: A VERY BRITISH OBSESSION (mkv/697mb/1hr)

BBC Four broadcast: 1st November 2010

"Every year, a secret tribe take to the roads of Britain. In the space of a few months they will drive thousands of miles and spend thousands of pounds in pursuit of their prey. Their aim is to see as many birds as possible, wherever that bird may be.

"Welcome to the very competitive world of the twitcher - obsessives who'll stop at nothing to get their bird."