Help, whats this pipet (1 Viewer)

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Dave Adshead

How much!

• Nov 2, 2004

• #1

Can anybody put me out of my misery. The photographs below are of two pipets but which one?. The one with a bug in its bill I took on Staple Island, Farnes in July 04. It was feeding one chick. Numerous birders stopped to watch and chat 50% told me it was a Meadow Pipet, 50% a Rock Pipet, so being relatively new to birds I was none the wiser.
The second Pipet I photographed at Exmouth on Sunday 31.10.04, The estuary was just a few metres away at my back, this appears to be the same type of bird.

Thanks in anticipation

Dave

 

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Last edited: Nov 2, 2004

CJW

Hit-and-run WUM

• Nov 2, 2004

• #2

Two different species Dave,
the first one is a Rock Pipit the second a Meadow Pipit.

 

D

Dave Adshead

How much!

• Nov 2, 2004

• #3

Hello Chris, a thousand thanks for that.

best wishes
Dave

 

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Darrell Clegg

Well-known member

• Nov 2, 2004

• #4

Chris is right Dave (he usually is!!)

Look at the breast markings, on Meadow Pipit they are well defined whereas in Rock Pipit they always look a bit sullied. Imagine drawing a charcoal line on paper and then rubbing your hands over it - it smudges, this is the difference between Rock and Meadow Pipit.
Rock Pipit is an altogether much draber bird, and side by side with Meadow looks chunkier and more robust. Also look at the legs. In Meadow Pipit the legs are invariably a shade of pink. In Rock Pipit they are much darker - often looking black or at best 'scab' red.

Hope this helps

Darrell

 

Keith Reeder

Watch the birdie...

• Nov 2, 2004

• #5

Nice pictures incidentally, Dave...

 

CJW

Hit-and-run WUM

• Nov 2, 2004

• #6

Darrell Clegg said:

Chris is right Dave (he usually is!!)

Look at the breast markings, on Meadow Pipit they are well defined whereas in Rock Pipit they always look a bit sullied. Imagine drawing a charcoal line on paper and then rubbing your hands over it - it smudges, this is the difference between Rock and Meadow Pipit.
Rock Pipit is an altogether much draber bird, and side by side with Meadow looks chunkier and more robust. Also look at the legs. In Meadow Pipit the legs are invariably a shade of pink. In Rock Pipit they are much darker - often looking black or at best 'scab' red.

Hope this helps

Darrell

Click to expand...

Thanks twice Darrell! Once for the (wildly inaccurate) compliment and the second for breaking the i.d. down so well - something I was too lazy to do.
I love the 'scab-red' description of Rockit leg-colour, although I don't see Dulux doing that one in their catalogue any day soon!

 

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Dave Adshead

How much!

• Nov 2, 2004

• #7

Thank you everybody, Darrell I hope you don't mind but I've made a note of your description and put it in my ID book, very useful.

Dave