Ashleworth Ham Nature Reserve on a day of sunny periods after a very cold start.
This was a short visit to put some boards into the sluice ready for the winter to trap some water on the reserve for the winter wildfowl.
After that we, I spent a short time in the hide and found the Water Pipits again which flew into the area directly in front of the hide near the main water. 5 birds appeared suddenly, one was a Meadow Pipit and 3 were Water Pipits, but the 4th bird could not be refound. All of the birds bathed in the shallow water edge and then preened. I noted one bird which preened for longer than the others. It was face on to me and appeared to have quite a pale face with a bold light ring around the eye, pale lores and what appeared to be a daintier bill than the others and the throat was in great contrast to the breast, the former very light with no markings and the latter finely but contrastingly marked. I could not see its legs, nor its mantle before it flew off. The plumage that I could see seemed a little different to the other birds. The birds dispersed and the only two which I could see subsequently seemed to be together and they were classic Water Pipits.
This was a short visit to put some boards into the sluice ready for the winter to trap some water on the reserve for the winter wildfowl.
After that we, I spent a short time in the hide and found the Water Pipits again which flew into the area directly in front of the hide near the main water. 5 birds appeared suddenly, one was a Meadow Pipit and 3 were Water Pipits, but the 4th bird could not be refound. All of the birds bathed in the shallow water edge and then preened. I noted one bird which preened for longer than the others. It was face on to me and appeared to have quite a pale face with a bold light ring around the eye, pale lores and what appeared to be a daintier bill than the others and the throat was in great contrast to the breast, the former very light with no markings and the latter finely but contrastingly marked. I could not see its legs, nor its mantle before it flew off. The plumage that I could see seemed a little different to the other birds. The birds dispersed and the only two which I could see subsequently seemed to be together and they were classic Water Pipits.
