I am writing this at the end of March and the first few migratory birds have arrived in the area and are singing loudly. As I walk around the village and come close to any group of trees, I can invariably hear a male Chiffchaff singing from the top of one of the trees. It is surprising how difficult it can be to see the bird. They started arriving and singing from about the second / third week of March. At that time I would hear one or two on a walk. And now as the month comes to an end, they are present all around the village in large numbers so easy to hear.

They get their name from their song. The male sits in the top of a tree - usually just under the very top, hence why they are tricky to spot – singing for long periods, marking their territory and trying to attract a mate.

They are rather a plain bird when you see one – dusky brown / green.

Their ‘cousin’ the Willow Warbler has yet to arrive here in Vernham, although a few are being reported from around the UK. Some years ago, these were common breeding birds in this area. With global warming they are now generally moving further north to breed. So mostly the birds we see here are travelling through, although one or two do stay here to breed still.

They arrive from about mid-April in this area. Again, it’s a small dusky brown / green bird and difficult to distinguish from a Chiffchaff. The easiest way to tell the difference is their song. The Willow Warbler sings a very pleasant descending trill – very different from the Chiffchaff’s song.

When I was growing up, birdwatchers found it difficult to distinguish between the two. With far better binoculars now and the ability to take good quality photographs, even from a good distance away, the finer points of ID can be seen, and Chiffchaffs can  be distinguished from Willow Warblers by sight.

And with more observation of these species some features that have always been there become distinguishing features. For instance, Chiffchaffs when settled in a tree will often pump their tail up and down, and round a bit. Whereas Willow Warblers don’t.

The other small bird that has started to sing in the last few days is the Blackcap. They have a beautiful melodic song and as I walk around the village, I can hear one or two starting to sing. Small numbers of Blackcap winter here, these are thought to be from the breeding population in Germany and Eastern Europe. They will return there for the Summer. They will be replaced by birds that have migrated to the UK from southern Europe or northern Africa.

Now is a good time to try and see a Blackcap. As the leaves on trees and bushes return, they can become quite tricky to find. They sing from the middle of a tree / bush. The male is a grey bird with a black cap – very striking. The female and youngsters born this year will have a brown cap!

Another less common bird here whose song is easily confused with the Blackcap is a Garden Warbler. They also sing from the middle of a tree / bush. There are a number of difference in their song but the easiest one to listen out for is that a Blackcap sounds like it is stumbling over the first few notes before it gets into full song.

It is not often I come across a Garden Warbler in Vernham. The most reliable place to see them is on top of the hills in May as they migrate through the area. I will almost invariably hear their song first before I see the bird. They really do sit very tight in the middle of the tree / bush and their plain brown colouring, with no distinguishing features, means they are well camouflaged.

And of course, we all look forward to the returning Swallows and House Martins. They will be in and around the village fin small numbers rom mid-April. Like many migratory bords they return to the place they successfully bred last year or where they were born. It is an area they know, and they will be aware of the best nesting sites and places to find food. That knowledge gives them a good start for breeding season.