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We were out birdwatching on holiday back in June and watched this little bird for a while but just couldn't make out what it was because of the quick movement.  It had a really lovely song, almost of the warbler variety - and it may even be from the warbler family but because our pics came out quite dark and it didn't sit still for too long, we can't ID it! I've lightened the picture somewhat to try and show up a bit of detail. 

Mr Brenchley or anybody else have an idea, please?  Thanks :)

I can't really tell at that angle; the side view of the head is diagnostic with a lot of warblers. Possibly willow warbler, which is very common in scrub, and does have a lovely song.

Well, it would actually pass muster as a nightingale.  Can you describe the song - nightingales aren't easily mistaken for anything else once you've heard one - trilling, liquid song, like a thrush but more so - and loud!  Thing is you don't tend to see the bird, only hear it singing from scrub.  Where and when did you see it?

Looks like a warbler, and Willow or Garden are my guesses, based on having a warbler-like song...Chiffchaffs are very common but don't really warble, just shout  ;D.

If it was a reasonably short, descending song with a little flourish at the end, Willow Warbler.

Quote from: Unwashed on August 27, 2011, 21:52:47
Well, it would actually pass muster as a nightingale.  Can you describe the song - nightingales aren't easily mistaken for anything else once you've heard one - trilling, liquid song, like a thrush but more so - and loud!  Thing is you don't tend to see the bird, only hear it singing from scrub.  Where and when did you see it?

Sorry for the delay in responding. I'm thinking not a nightingale, though.  We saw this bird the during the later part of June up in a little forest in Derbyshire. 

Quote from: Robert_S on September 04, 2011, 12:52:21
Looks like a warbler, and Willow or Garden are my guesses, based on having a warbler-like song...Chiffchaffs are very common but don't really warble, just shout  ;D.

If it was a reasonably short, descending song with a little flourish at the end, Willow Warbler.

It did sound like that, Robert, so maybe that's what it was but the colours don't seem to match too well with a WW though?

Here's the only other half decent picture we managed to get.  Not that much different to the original though :-\

Its definitely a bird Sammy.   :P ;)
Garden warbler matches the picture on the RSPCA site.   ;D

It looks a little bit like a canary in shape so I wonder if it might be a linnet?