Blackcaps and Garden Warblers

The songs of these two species can be hard to tell apart as we all know well. The other day when I led the walk round Denmark Farm I came across what sounded like a Garden Warbler. Or maybe a Blackcap. Or maybe....then it disappeared. I'm confident we identified the others on our walk, though Elaine mentioned a piece of research that suggests that Blackcaps can learn to imitate the song of Garden Warblers! As we approached the end of our walk I heard a 'definite' Blackcap close by yet the very next burst sounded like a GW, and indeed moments later a GW appeared. I was trying to digest all this when a Blackcap shot out just behind the first bird and the two of them launched into bursts of alternating song at very close quarters, enabling us to compare the differences as best we could. They were at it again this morning when I was completing a CBS survey for Denmark Farm. I suppose they are two ecologically similar species competing for space and resources. However, somewhere deep down inside I like to think that even they might be having trouble telling their songs apart.