Siberian chiffchaff, Martin Mere

My encounter with a probable Siberian chiffchaff at Pennington Flash on Wednesday was just one of a few apparent arrivals this week, which included a bird at the sewage works at Martin Mere on Monday. So today I decided to call in for a look and hopefully a listen.

As soon as I arrived I saw three chiffchaffs in a bush next to the perimeter fence, at least one of which looked good for tristis. Over the next hour or so I watched them flitting around in the bush, or flying into nearby trees, occasionally going missing for five minutes before one or more returned. It took a while, but eventually one of them called, just once, but it was enough. A short, clear piping call, reminiscent of bullfinch.

This is a bird which in previous years I have watched a lot here, but usually in January or early February. I've never seen one this early in the winter before.

Why couldn't the Pennington Flash bird have shown this well?

Meanwhile this snow goose was on the mere with greylags. It arrived with pink-footed geese at Marshside in early autumn, and if it had stayed there no doubt it would have been given the benefit of the doubt by the majority of birders, but when the flock moved to Martin Mere it decided to hang around with the feral greylags. I'm not really sure why this would suddenly earn it the label "of unknown origin" because it's not like it's coming to bread, in fact whenever I see it it always seems to be the furthest bird away at the back of the flock. I mean let's face it, every other bird here on the mere is a wild bird, from the whooper swans to the ruff, so why is the snow goose of dubious origin? Who cares anyway, it's unashamedly on my list.

At least three each of great white egret, little egret and cattle egret today.

Ruff and black-tailed godwit, both obviously of "unknown origin" because not only are they on the mere, they're actually right in front of the hide, little more than 5m away.