Pipit - Breydon Water, UK (1 Viewer)

[Joern Lehmhus]

I assumed listening to calls at xeno-canto or somewhere else?

 

[PaulCountyDurham]

One might ask, if the OP has not seen any kind of pipit before (see post 11), how can he be sure that it sounded more like a Rock or Water than a Meadow (see post 18), or am I just being pedantic?!

RB

'Fair enough, 'missed that post. 'Agreed, if you have no experience to go from then it's nigh on impossible.

 

[PYRTLE]

One might ask, if the OP has not seen any kind of pipit before (see post 11), how can he be sure that it sounded more like a Rock or Water than a Meadow (see post 18), or am I just being pedantic?!

RB

By comparing flight / alarm calls that he heard and was able to reconcile from memory with info on the Internet. Same as us listening to and learning from cassette audio tapes before we embarked on a foreign trip eg, Scotland to find Crested Tits, Ptarmigan etc. Pretty straightforward method, no?

 

[Prestdj]

One might ask, if the OP has not seen any kind of pipit before (see post 11), how can he be sure that it sounded more like a Rock or Water than a Meadow (see post 18), or am I just being pedantic?!

RB

your not been pedantic its a good question

 

[UKBirder23]

I assumed listening to calls at xeno-canto or somewhere else?

I did indeed use xeno-canto.

 

[Rotherbirder]

If this was a record that qualified for assessment by a records committee at some level, it would be passed over through lack of evidence - no images, no sound recording and no field experience whatsoever of any similar species by the finder. Memory - even short-term - is notoriously unreliable and attempting to separate Meadow & Rock Pipit, let alone Rock & Water Pipit after the event, even with the help of Xeno Canto, is a non-starter. To the OP, put the record down to experience and try again next time. Why not have a go at using the tried & tested method of making field notes & sketches to help jog your memory later?

RB

 

[aeshna5]

Not quite sure what you mean here. A lightly veiled attempt at sarcasm perhaps? Not very becoming ... neither is your spelling and grammar! If this was a record that qualified for assessment by a records committee at some level, it would be passed over through lack of evidence - no images, no sound recording and no field experience whatsoever of any similar species by the finder. Memory - even short-term - is notoriously unreliable and attempting to separate Meadow & Rock Pipit, let alone Rock & Water Pipit after the event, even with the help of Xeno Canto, is a non-starter. To the OP, put the record down to experience and try again next time. Why not have a go at using the tried & tested method of making field notes & sketches to help jog your memory later?

RB

Regarding the comments on the pipit itself I totally agree with this.

 

[UKBirder23]

If this was a record that qualified for assessment by a records committee at some level, it would be passed over through lack of evidence - no images, no sound recording and no field experience whatsoever of any similar species by the finder. Memory - even short-term - is notoriously unreliable and attempting to separate Meadow & Rock Pipit, let alone Rock & Water Pipit after the event, even with the help of Xeno Canto, is a non-starter. To the OP, put the record down to experience and try again next time. Why not have a go at using the tried & tested method of making field notes & sketches to help jog your memory later?

RB

Yes, you are quite right, and I knew before I posted that there was little hope of achieving an ID of a pipit with no photos or audio. But you have all been very helpful, and I appreciate it. One of my goals for next year is to improve my ID'ing skills so that I can obtain more positive IDs. Field notes are always a good idea, they were very useful recently in ID'ing a sandpiper I saw on Lake Lothing - sadly on Friday I went out without a notebook, camera or even my phone. It was a rather impromptu birding expedition!