Meadow or Tree Pipit - Thetford Forest last weekend (1 Viewer)

[mtrevillion]

Thanks for any help.

 

[Butty]

Tree pipit. Sensible-length hind claw, thin flank-streaks.

 

[Jonno52]

The features mentioned by Butty are enough on their own, but the pale spot to the rear of the ear coverts is another in favour of Tree.

 

[pianoman]

Yes it's the lightness rather than the thinness of the flank streaks that is key

 

[Butty]

it's the lightness rather than the thinness of the flank streaks that is key

You mean paleness, ie less dark than in meadow pipit? As far as I'm aware that's incorrect - it's the thickness/heaviness of the streaks that's the (pretty unreliable) distinguishing feature (others are welcome to 'jump in' here). The streaks, and everything else, look rather pale in this photo because it's underexposed.

 

[Redmist]

As Butty says, I’m usually looking out for thin ‘pencil like’ streaks on the flanks that are noticeably thinner than the breast streaks, with a fairly sharp transition from thick to thin. But as pointed out everything else for confident TP is here too. Being in a tree doesn’t hurt either