Meet the Animals

Starring on our webcams at the moment are a pair of willow warblers. Both parents are working hard to feed those hungry chicks in the nest.

Missed something? Keep up to date with the willow warbler story here.

Species information

The willow warbler is a pretty little bird with a pale green-olive back and a pale yellow chest. A notable feature is a pale yellow stripe running above the eyes. It looks very similar to the chiffchaff; indeed the two can be difficult to tell apart. The secret is in the song: a very simple yet beautiful liquid warble (the chiffchaff tends to just repeat its name over and over).

It's by far the commonest of all British warblers, with more than two million willow warblers visiting our country from Africa during the summer. It builds a domed nest of grass near the ground, often thought to look like an oven, and can appear busy in its quest to pick insects from amongst the foliage.

What's quite unusual about the willow warbler is that twice a year it completely replaces all their plumage.

How to help

Willow warblers can be attracted to your garden. Try planting some shrubs to attract insects. The RSPB website has advice on how to make your garden wildlife-friendly.

How about joining your local RSPB group to find out more about, and help with the conservation of, the willow warbler. You can also help the BTO record bird migration and distribution throughout the UK with BirdTrack.

Tuesday 2nd June

How do seven willow warbler chicks fit into such a small nest? Let us show you.

Monday 1st June

These chicks left the comfort of the nest yesterday. Good luck guys!

Wednesday 27th May

This is the willow warbler nest and inside there are seven chicks. Their parents have been feeding them an incredible 23 times in 30 minutes.