Okay boys and girls, hold onto your hats because here it comes!

I think the reported Tree Pipit currently at Pennington Flash isn't one. I think it's a Meadow Pipit.

I was alarmed initially by comments at the time of the birds finding, that it sounded like one although only in partial song (partial song?). Nobody seemed to mention anything about it looking like one. Yesterday I received several photos of the bird and to my eye it clearly didn't look right which included one huge flaw. Obviously photos can give the wrong impression (unfortunately not over it's one huge flaw, more of that later) and I'm rightly cautious of giving an opinion based off just photos so I got down there today and saw it for myself.

Firstly, it does appear to sound like a singing Tree Pipit, the rather Chaffinch like quality of the usual opening notes of a Tree Pipit anyway but I never heard it utter the usual flurrish or tremble of Tree and I was never sure any of it's notes were quite there for a Tree Pipit. Clearly they weren't right for a normal Meadow Pipit either, so it was all rather confusing but it was rather elusive whilst I was there and didn't sing all that often so hopefully I'll get more on that. It did however fly very close past me on a couple of occasions (and yes it was the right bird!) and uttered flight calls that were more Meadow Pipit and certainly not Tree Pipit.


Habits- I think sometimes too much is being placed on it singing form a Tree or flying up and then back down to a tre again, Meadow Pipits do similar. When this bird did sing in flight it seemed to sing as soon as it took off and up to it's peak of flight whereas a Tree Pipit would be expected to only start singing when it has reached the peak of it's flight and continue as it flies back down again. As it flew back down it never showed the drooping legs and feet I often associate with singing Tree Pipits. Whilst in song from it's perch it's wings were drooped below it's tail which is unlike Tree Pipit and at no time did it pump it's tail or walk about the branches like Tree Pipit often does.

Plumage- not what I was expecting to see! I expected a bird which would have a rather bright buffish wash across the breast (and perhaps flanks) contrasting against a white belly but instead saw a bird with rather uniformly washed pale buff underparts (photos received though seem to show diferent characteristics in each one though, so this is based off my own views). I expected the usual Tree Pipit bolder streaking on the breast and beautifully fine 'pencil' streaks along the flanks but instead was met by streaks of equal strength across the breast and flanks. Streaks that were far too bold on the flanks for any Tree Pipit. The facial features, often very difficult to judge between the two anyway, just weren't quite right for Tree Pipit for me. It's eyering was complete and not broken at the front like Tree Pipit and the bill was for me too slender for Tree Pipit (but was right for Meadow) which has a noticeably heavier bill.

And finally, the nail, that huge flaw...

First noticed in the images provided to me and what initially got me going, the bird in question has a rather huge and obvious hind claw. Tree Pipit has a short and very curved hindclaw and this bird was a long way from that. It's hindclaw was clearly very long, just longer than it's hind toe, shallow with little curve and was all dark.

So there you go, just my opinion although I have just received an email from Paul Brown on North Ronaldsay expressing his concern over the length of it's hindclaw from images independantly sent to him by one of the photographers. I think it's a Meadow Pipit, one singing unlike a 'normal' Meadow perhaps but a Meadow nevertheless.

Unfortunately I am still having problems accessing the website to update (not my fault, their's) so cannot upload any photos but better than that, if you're that interested get down and have a look for yourself.

All comments and personal views appreciated, preferably from those who have seen and heard the bird in the field (otherwise how can you have an opinion on it )