Friday 6 June 2014

Is this Bird What I Think it is?

A brief visit to the bird table by a bird I haven't noticed before:



Looking through Collins Complete and double checking on t'internet I concluded it was a rare visit to my garden by a Meadow Pipit. But then I could easily be mistaken.

9 comments:

  1. John it is a Pipet. I will go for Meadow as they are the most common. I would like it to be a Rock Pipet as I've never seen one. What it is doing on the Wolds I can't say they are usually found on moors and seashores in cold places. They are great to watch courting as they hover about six feet off the ground with their legs hanging down then just drop.

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    1. Adrian. I went by the pale, heavily speckled breast and the pale ring round the eyes as pointers to it being a Meadow Pipit.

      It is about 3 miles as the Pipit flies from here to the sand dunes on the coast. Maybe it was on its way inland after raising a brood. A quick check does show the rock variety is quite similar.

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    2. The meadow Pipet has orange legs and the Rock has a tan to brown colour. The eyebrow seems similar to me.

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  2. A new bird! Now that's a nice surprise.

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    1. Maybe not after all Wilma. Could have been a juvenile Dunnock - still a first for my garden anyway. Always have adults but not spotted a youngster before.

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  3. John, the facial and wing markings definitely indicate Meadow Pipit. They are very common residents and breed in open country, heaths, moors, pastures, coastal meadows and bogs. WE also see large passage migrant movement March to May and again Sept/Oct.

    Nice one to add to the garden list AND give the camera a gold star.

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    1. Frank - checking on Tricia's suggestion I think I am mistaken. Some birds are so difficult to tell apart to the inexperienced eyes. Could well be a juvenile Dunnock, very similar markings!

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  4. John, it looks far more like a Dunnock to me, with the grey head etc....

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    1. Thanks Tricia. Checking up, you could well be correct. The juvenile Dunnock has very similar markings to the adult Meadow Pipit - to my inexperienced eyes anyway. I have regular adult Dunnocks visiting but this is the first time I may have seen a youngster.

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Thank you for visiting. Hope you enjoyed the pictures. Any comment, or correction to any information or identification I get wrong, is most welcome. John

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