Chiffchaff; a brief & nervous visit.

Yesterday morning, I spotted a Moth on the floor in front of my laptop. This, I had to rescue first, before I was able to wheel myself at the table. It was doing that trembling of the wings, which I automatically associate with Moths which had found themselves caught inside the house overnight.
The Moth had its wings closed, giving little clue to its identity. Not that I could see much from where I had my head in comparison to the ground. Because of the Moth, I got my camera and recharged battery, because I would need pictures to find an ID for this Moth. I kept the camera handy; just in case it would open its wings.
Eventually I got it into the carton and made a few pics of the Moth's wings in closed position, and with camera in hand, I looked up.

Outside, on the planter, I spotted the Willow Warbler, which lives in the Hawthorn hedge behind the back garden wall.
Somethiong was wrong though; this bird was clearly unfamiliar with the garden. It needed a better overview of the garden!

Chiffchaff, Phylloscopus collybita


I expected it to get on top, or at least onto one of the stems, of the Fennel, at least where it can find food in the shape of Insects. Somehow, it took the way which Passerines take. Onto the planter where they usually find seeds and suet.
This bird too, landed in the planter. Looked around and about. It was soon obvious that it was not the Willow Warbler. I was dealing with a stranger. I was very lucky that I had my camera in my hand already so that I was able to take these shots of the fidgety bird. Once the photos were on the laptop, I noticed the dark blackish legs, and decided that it was not a Willow Warbler, but I had had a visit of a Chiffchaff.

Chiffchaff, Phylloscopus collybita


Then the House Sparrows arrived, and the poor Chiffchaff was getting very nervous with so much noise about the wall, the roof and the fence. To make it even worse, we had Junior, screaming overhead to its friend, another of the young Jackdaws, which is a bit older than Junior.

Chiffchaff, Phylloscopus collybita


It was time to go, but hey, what about food? Wasn't that why I stopped here in the first place? It was only then that it discovered the Fennel, and it must have been met with a loud kind of buzzing? with all the Insects about the fronds, the Flowerheads, and the stem. It was getting busier however with larger birds, and it would have to withstand all these sounds and sights of such a nice Insect deli bar. It spread the wings, and made it up onto the fence.
Here, my visitor got up and ready to leave, but then turned around and looked back down again. Was it viewing the garden or the Sparrows which had made their way down. (I must mention though, that the House Sparrows were looking just as curiously at the newcomer)

Chiffchaff, Phylloscopus collybita


After the Chiffchaff had left, I was finally able to tend to the little Moth. Bending forward, I did manage to get it into my carton. With this I went outside. Sitting with it on my knee, it was soon becoming clear that this one would not fly away after acclimatising to the fresh air for a bit. I left it in a sheltered spot somewhere.

Unidentified Moth.
Some kind of Thorn Moth?

Back inside, I spotted this Fly. I'm told it is some kind of Cleg Fly. And a biting one.





And then... at last, another picture of Junior.

Junior, juvenile Jackdaw, Corvus monedula