What a lovely treat it was today to get really close views and some good photos of one of the tiniest of European birds, the Goldcrest.  Small, feisty and beautifully marked. ….. I absolutely love them with a passion. It's always a special day when I see one.  Today there were at least 3 moving in a small group and my friend Dave and I were priviledged to get some nice photos of one of them. Heres a selection of some of the nicest, a lovely "golden day" and a lovely "golden crest".   the leg colour of this little bird is not often mentioned but it is a very nice shade of yellow.

I had actually been out to look for a possible Siberian Chiffchaff…. or Putative Tristis Chiffchaff.  We did in actual fact encounter 2 likely candidates but they are incredibly difficult to seperate.  I played a normal Chiffchaff call when one of them was present but didn't get a reaction, this could indicate a Tristis but hardly conclusive.  I am told that bright sunshine is not the best light to photograph them in because it makes the  bird look more yellowish, What you are looking for is a bird that is more grey than olive. Look at the pictures below under the Goldcrest pictures  to see for yourself.

Chiffchaff – Phylloscopus collybita ……… or is it???

I am not certain of the sub-species of this bird, it's more than likely a Phylloscopus collybita Chiffchaff and not Phylloscopus collybita trisitis. Unfortunately it didn't call nor as I said, respond to a call so I can't bee certain either way. All I can say is that the colour represented here is a true reflection of the colour of the bird as witnessed. One certain fact though is this is a Wren – Troglodytes troglodytes.