Although known as one of the classic ‘little brown jobs’, the humble chiffchaff is actually a real party animal and shouldn’t be dismissed lightly despite its drabness and diminutive size.

First to arrive (usually early March) and last to leave, indeed, some no longer do so and overwinter in Britain, our partygoer is an incessant singer until Miss Right is tucked up in the nest.

Inexperienced birders can often get chiffchaff and willow warbler confused, but with his ‘chiff-chaff, chiff-chaff, chiff-chaff’ repetitive song, he shouts his name from the tree tops. Plumage wise he’s a drab little chap and the confusion with his cousin is understandable so points to look for are the legs (usually very dark opposed to the willow warbler’s flesh coloured), shorter primary projection (they don’t migrate as far so need less wing power) and of course that all-important song, more vibrant than the willow warbler’s sorrowful offerings.

As spring begins to show its first budding signs, it will be the chiffchaff that is the first real singer among our migrant birds and we should forgive its simplicity and just soak up the first notes of a new season. The chiffchaff is the bird that tunes up the avian orchestra prior to those early morning overtures to come.

Earlier, I mentioned that some birds now overwinter and hot spots for them are your local sewage treatment plants. The nature of the operation and its raw material ensures there are always insects around and the chiffchaff has found this winter source of food very much to its liking.

Currently there are eight to ten birds at Abingdon sewage works and among them is one that appears to be of the Siberian race, looking very much paler than its European counterparts.

Our county recorder has spent long hours hoping to hear its rather different call which would confirm origin and it’s well worth going to see the comparison to our usual birds.

Now that our snowdrops begin to droop, other signs of nature awakening appear and foremost among them will be the welcome, insistent song of the chiffchaff, listen as spring arrives.