Chiffchaffs warm to the theme of spring

Sandy, Bedfordshire Climate change has boosted the songbirds' advance northwards, and they seem to fill every copse

In the rising chorus over the past few weeks, one migratory bird has stood out as insistent, persistent, and more variable in its simple song than most books would have us believe.

Chiffchaffs are on the up; climate change has warmed their advance northwards, and here in the south they seem to be filling every copse, every patch of scrubland. They are often heard, but far less frequently seen.