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In fall 2021, they studied common redstart, chaffinch and dunnock on Helgoland, an island off the German coast along the North Sea that is a popular stopover for birds on the move each autumn.

The group froze at every chirp of a thrush or chaffinch, one hand holding the binoculars, the other a tombstone for balance.

The chaffinch and the brambling, he said, give the spit a distinctive tart taste that he has not savored for 10 years.

As well as the chaffinch’s call, there’s a curious tap-tap-tapping; beyond, a bird with a sore throat is imitating a donkey; then there’s a hoot, a laugh and a furious chattering argument.

The chaffinch is one of the most widespread and abundant birds in the British Isles.