Blackcap and Browncap

Really they are both called blackcaps but the female bird has a brown cap instead of a black one.

 

 

 

 

 

Otherwise they are grey, and I find them hard to see in the bushes, though some people are lucky enough to see them when they come to bird tables. 

 

The way I observe them is by their song.  In spring and summer the male sings tunefully, rather like a squeaky blackbird who has lost his music score.  The song is similar but has no shape, it just flutes along for a bit.  Listen to it on Brett Westwood's birdsong website.  There is a link on the right of the blog screen.

 

 

The blackcaps that breed here in summer seem to move out in September but then we get blackcaps from Germany and East Europe for the winter.

 

Nice.