Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus) – Devon, UK
Canon 7D
Canon 500mm F4 L IS plus 1.4x Extender and Canon Extension Tube EF 25 II
F5.6
ISO400
1/320th
Tripod
Evaluative Metering -1
Text adapted from – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willow_Warbler
The Willow Warbler is a very common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe and Asia, from Ireland east to the Anadyr River basin in eastern Siberia. It is strongly migratory, with almost all of the population wintering in sub-Saharan Africa.
It is a bird of open woodlands with trees and ground cover for nesting, including most importantly birch, alder, and willow habitats. The nest is usually built in close contact with the ground, often in low vegetation. Like most Old World warblers, this small passerine is insectivorous. In northern Europe, it is one of the first warblers to return in the spring though is later than the closely related Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita.
It is very similar to the Chiffchaff, but non-singing birds can be distinguished from that species by their paler pinkish-yellow legs (dark brown to blackish in Chiffchaff), longer paler bill, more elegant shape and longer primary projection (wingtip). Its song is a simple repetitive descending whistle, while the contact call is a disyllabic ‘hoo-eet’, distinct from the more monosyllabic ‘hweet’ of Chiffchaffs.
All populations are highly migratory, with the subspecies P. t. yakutensis migrating up to 12,000 km from eastern Siberia to southern Africa, one of the longest migrations of any for a bird of its size. Approximate timings are:
October to March: wintering in sub Saharan Africa.
Mid March to mid May: migrates and arrives in the breeding range.
Late April to August: breeding season, usually only one brood but rarely two.
August to October: migrates back to Africa.
Location: Devon_UK