Thursday 7 October 2010

Buff-bellied Pipit, Fair Isle

Another cracking bird from Fair Isle – it took us three visits to North Light to see it, and a fourth in better weather to get half-decent pics, but it was well worth it. By contrast, the bird at Esha Ness showed first time, but the weather was pretty absymal!

bb_pipitbb_pipit3 bb_pipit2

It was surprisingly distinctive amongst Meadow and Rock Pipits – very plain, almost unstreaked, mantle; face pattern dominated by a strong eyering; dark legs; and (obviously) a buff belly! The call was also clearly different – an almost bunting like soft ‘sip’.

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