Midwinter Chiffchaff

After walking for a couple of miles without seeing anything other than crows and woodpigeons, we started to descend from the Downs through the woods at the top of Steyning Coombe, when we heard first a Nuthatch and then a couple of Goldcrests.  These were very confiding and kept us amused with their tumbling flight for several minutes.  A Treecreeper then appeared and ran up a couple of nearby trees and then a Great Spotted Woodpecker landed on a tree above our heads.  All the time we could hear the Nuthatch bashing away at  a nut in the background.  All of this happened in the space of about five minutes and then as we walked away I caught a glimpse of a small bird in the undergrowth.  It appeared and disappeared and reappeared and finally came into full view.  It can be rather baffling when you encounter a bird out of context or out of season and so it was a good thing that I had such a long, clear view of it so that I can be confident it was a Chiffchaff.  It is not unknown for them to overwinter in this country and it is becoming more and more common, but it is the first I have recorded in December. The weather has been very mild so far this winter, so it is not surprising that birds like this are overwintering.