Cheers for the link Dave. Interesting that these were similar to Yellow-browed. It suggests quite a bit of variety in the range that people are hearing. I'm still not convinced I've been missing these calls all my birding life and from what I have read here and elsewhere it sounds like a few others are of the same opinion - which is good as it means I'm not going mad!
dave broome said
Sat Sep 30 10:12 AM, 2017
There's a comment regarding these calls in the Frodsham Marsh blog this week
I've always called it the 'hiccup' call, because it just sounds like the bird is having 'wind' trouble. .
What a thought! Kind of hard to imagine a bird with wind trouble!
Andy Bissitt said
Tue Sep 26 8:59 PM, 2017
I think I know the call you mean. I've always called it the 'hiccup' call, because it just sounds like the bird is having 'wind' trouble. I first noted it in the odd bird a few years back (at least ten, I'd say), but even then I thought it was something that I had not heard previously. Now I hear it everywhere (several today).
Craig Higson said
Tue Sep 26 12:42 PM, 2017
They may well be juveniles Zoe/John, its just I seem to have been deaf to this call for the last 30 odd years.
Zoe Barrett said
Mon Sep 25 9:46 PM, 2017
Yes it seems to be late summer and autumn you hear them making these type of calls you describe as sweeoeet. I think they are juvenile birds but correct me if I am wrong . ..
John Watson said
Sun Sep 24 8:57 AM, 2017
I heard several different Chiffchaff calls at BMW on Thursday, as well as the expected contact call & a little song; I assumed they were young birds
Craig Higson said
Sat Sep 23 7:29 PM, 2017
Is it just me, or are there are a lot of Chiffchaffs making a different call to what I consider to be their normal autumnal hoo-weet! I started to notice it a few weeks ago and it has become more and more obvious. Its more of a "sweeooeet". Higher pitched, quite sharp. Have I just been missing this for the past 30 odd years or is it much more prevalent this year? There's a few examples of it on Xeno Canto if anybody isn't familiar with what I'm describing.
There's a comment regarding these calls in the Frodsham Marsh blog this week
https://frodshammarshbirdblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/28/28-09-17-birdlog/
What a thought! Kind of hard to imagine a bird with wind trouble!
I think I know the call you mean. I've always called it the 'hiccup' call, because it just sounds like the bird is having 'wind' trouble. I first noted it in the odd bird a few years back (at least ten, I'd say), but even then I thought it was something that I had not heard previously. Now I hear it everywhere (several today).