Birds - East Coast of Scotland (1 Viewer)

ian38018 · Feb 27, 2025

Hi Folks - a few more birds I caught around the River Forth today. My tentative ID are:
1 - Turnstone
2- Wigeon
3 & 4 - Redshank
5 & 6 - No idea what this is.
7 - Another Wigeon (or maybe Pochard)
8 - Female Goldeneye
9 - Buzzard.

Thanks in advance

Ian

Alexander Stöhr · Feb 27, 2025

Hello Ian,

I agree with your IDs, including the Wigeon for nr. 7
The passerine in5&6 is a Rock Pipit. Its often good to look at the bill to narrow the choice.
Long tertials reaching the wingtip are common in Pipits and Wagtails and uniform olivebrown plumage is good for a Rock Pipit.

Derbyfella · Feb 27, 2025

For me 5 & 6 are a pipit
Agree with the rest

ian38018 · Feb 27, 2025

Thanks for that. A Rock Pipit is a new one for me.
But it makes sense, given my book states it is "seaside equivalent of a Meadow Pipit"
Those pics were taken on a sea wall.

Derbyfella · Feb 27, 2025

Alexander has such a great way of clarifying things.
Unfortunately I would have had to have guessed at 5 & 6 by discounting meadow pipit, just due to location……ie by water (quayside)?
Probably not the best way…

delia todd · Feb 28, 2025

Derbyfella said:
, just due to location……ie by water (quayside)?
Probably not the best way…

If it's on grass = Meadow
on a rock = Rock
in a tree = Tree
beside water = Water

.... after that I'm stuck!

Oh except if I see the feet... Meadow has a long hind claw!

Alexander Stöhr · Feb 28, 2025

Hello,

thanks for your kind words Derbyfella!

Please note in this bird:

clear and evident olivey upperparts are better for than Rock Pipit, most Meadow Pipits have browner, buffish or greyer upperparts with far less evident hues in the greenish range*
same with exact and strong contrasting caramell hue to the supercilium. The contrast to the ear-coverts and crown is mainly due to colouration, not by paleness (some Meadow Pipits have clearly paler supercilum, dwarfing colour contrast. I hope thats understandable)
this bird has quite a simple head-pattern, more complex in many (?) Meadow Pipits
little streaking on the back, only some faint tramline-pattern in the extreme center is better for Rock Pipit
the hindclaw seems shortish, already noted by Delia

* a Meadow Pipit with evident, but still more subdued olive-green hues (all Wiesenpieper, Bruch near Karow, NE-Germany, 15.05.2022)

https://flic.kr/p/2no2XwS

RichieTwitchy · Feb 28, 2025

delia todd said:
If it's on grass = Meadow
on a rock = Rock
in a tree = Tree
beside water = Water

.... after that I'm stuck!

Oh except if I see the feet... Meadow has a long hind claw!

...and if it's in a laboratory it's a pipette

I'll get me coat...

stevethehydra · Feb 28, 2025

delia todd said:
If it's on grass = Meadow
on a rock = Rock
in a tree = Tree
beside water = Water

.... after that I'm stuck!

Oh except if I see the feet... Meadow has a long hind claw!

I've probably seen more Meadow Pipits on rocks than I have Rock Pipits anywhere! And most of the Rock Pipits I have seen were beside (sea) water...

The only definite Tree Pipit I have seen was in a tree though!

Birds - East Coast of Scotland (1 Viewer)

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