Well, Merlin Photo ID thinks its a Meadow Pipit anyway, which if it is, it’s the first time I’ve knowingly photoed one.
Prospect Park, Reading, UK
Canon R5 MkII + RF200-800mm lens
oh boy, could be, but that’s a tough call
how did you eliminate Tree Pipit? (i’m asking not telling, the pipits are a tough category for me when there are multiple possibilities in range so i could maybe learn something…)
I’m afraid I was mostly trusting Merlin, which only offered Meadow. Looking up the difference between the two in a book, they are very similar, and I’m not familiar with them - Merlin perhaps went by eye markings or side streaks, or perhaps balance of probabilities based on time of year/location (Tree Pipits being rarer).
P.S. I’ve not knowingly photoed a Tree Pipit either!
heh, merlin can’t always be wrong but “think horses not zebras” can lead birders to miss a lot of rarities and strays
i think my next step absent the input of a more experienced local birder to review the photo would be to pull up the local ebird records for the patch where you saw it
if everybody else, including the people who regularly visit the patch are reporting Meadow Pipit, & especially if Tree Pipit has never been seen on that patch, you can be pretty confident
good luck! the field markings on these birds are REALLY tough for me
Fair comment.
I’ve never had much success with the local Berks Birds recording site, but a reasonable suggestion. This suggests historically you get sightings of Tree Pipits maybe April to occasionally August here (Berkshire), while Meadow Pipits are much more reported, including in the last few days.
Comparing the photos on their site, I can see more why the thickness of the streaks at the sides (suggested by WILDGuides Britain’s Birds) might be a good indicator, if not perfect.
