Amateur frustration on Coniston Old Man (1 Viewer)

[MikeD57]

Hello,

Yesterday, on what turned out to be a glorious day, I took my first Lakeland mountain walk in nine years. The trek was enhanced by close sightings of wheatear and a solitary grey wagtail.

There were two other species which I wasn't able to identify. One was a thrush-like bird with a plump breast and rich brown streaks. After getting back and looking in my guide book, I feel that the bird I saw was more like a rock pippit but, again, there remains that frustrating uncertainty. A slightly smaller bird had brown streaks on the upper part of its breast but my lack of expertise couldn't result in a positive identification.

Can anyone please help with identifying these birds?

 

[chris butterworth]

Hi Mike and welcome to Birforum. The first bird would probably be a Meadow Pipit, as you only find Rock Pipit around the seashore, and if it was on the Old Man it's not quite the habitat for Tree Pipit. As judging the size of birds isn't easy perhaps the second was also a Meadow Pipit. Pipits, by the way, can be notoriously difficult to identify.

Chris

 

[Seatallen]

I agree. There's generally hordes of them on the Lakeland fells.

BTW- I envy you! Last time I was on the Old Man there was horizontal sleet and it was blowing a howler.