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Message: <blockquote data-quote="tittletattler" data-source="post: 1434023" data-attributes="member: 63151">Thanks Jane and Steve.  Yes, it's definitely a Water Pipit and probably as straight forward as they get.  A better pic would help though.<img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" />Scandy Rocks outnumber Water Pipits at this site and also upstream at Rainham RSPB too.  I also find that of the birds that feed on the Thames foreshore, Water Pipits are far more elusive than the Rock Pipits and readily disappear amongst the seaweed cover rocks that both species prefer (as well as plastic bottles if you look at Barry's link above).  The bird above is in more typical habitat for water Pipit as it's in a dense weedy margin bordering a freshwater pool. Very elusive too.Barry also mentions that he can't separate the two on call.  This could well be the case with some birds but certainly the bird on the Eurostar pools has a softer and slightly buzzier call compared to the loud, strident calls that most Rock Pipits give.  I think Water Pipit can sound more like Mipit than Rock can although the call of Water Pipit is louder and more drawn out than Meadow Pipit. Perhaps petrosus has a slightly harsher call still?A few more pics from Swanscombe:<a href="http://www.kentos.org.uk/Photographs/06RockPipitSwansFeb.htm" target="_blank">http://www.kentos.org.uk/Photographs/06RockPipitSwansFeb.htm</a><a href="http://www.kentos.org.uk/Photographs/04littoralisMJL_000.htm" target="_blank">http://www.kentos.org.uk/Photographs/04littoralisMJL_000.htm</a>  (compare this bird to the more heavily streaked subject bird.  Petrosus is darker streaked above and below in summer plumage, I reckon) <a href="http://www.kentos.org.uk/Photographs/06WaterPipitSwans2901.htm" target="_blank">http://www.kentos.org.uk/Photographs/06WaterPipitSwans2901.htm</a><a href="http://www.kentos.org.uk/Photographs/06WaterPipitSwansFeb.htm" target="_blank">http://www.kentos.org.uk/Photographs/06WaterPipitSwansFeb.htm</a><a href="http://www.kentos.org.uk/Photographs/06WaterPipitSwansMarch.htm" target="_blank">http://www.kentos.org.uk/Photographs/06WaterPipitSwansMarch.htm</a>I think these help show the structural differences between Scandinavian Rock Pipit and Water Pipit (again, to reiterate, the broader body/belly of Water Pipit - compare Water Pipit to the bird in post 4)</blockquote>

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