Find your own Meadow, Tree and Olive-backed Pipits

Meadow Pipit is a common grassland bird over most of Britain and Ireland, which even has its own (debatable) subspecies. It is most common in Ireland, Wales, north-east England and Scotland, but is found year round on most areas with short turf, such as grazing land, reservoir banks and even river banks and coastal areas, where it can mix freely with Rock Pipits in small flocks. The species has suffered recent declines, but is still present in good numbers.

The plentiful residents are added to by thousands of continental migrants in winter; these are initially seen on the east coast. The species is regular during visible migration watches, often detected overhead by its call. By the end of autumn, the whole country is pretty well covered in the right habitats.

Tree Pipit is substantially less common, with its concentration in the west more notable, though there are healthy pockets in the south, the West Country and Norfolk. As these birds disperse, they are also joined by migrants from Scandinavia, particularly on the east coast, though all are in minimal amounts by October.

Olive-backed Pipit is a potential patch find for many now its true status as a very scarce migrant is known and it has been removed from the list of species assessed by the Rarities Committee. However, there are certain locations where you are more likely to find one in autumn or even early winter, and these are largely on the east coast or on Shetland, Orkney or Scilly.

Mainland Shetland (HU 3713) is very likely to hold the odd bird every autumn, while North Ronaldsay (HY 7553) is the most likely place on Orkney. St Mary’s (SV 9110) is the best bet on Scilly, while the Farne Islands, Northumberland (NU 2336), Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire (TA 2570), and north Norfolk all turn up individuals almost

annually.

TEN: Olive-backed Pipit (Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, 30 December 2012). With its short hind claws, stout bill and tree-perching behaviour, this is clearly either a Tree or an Olive-backed Pipit. From this angle the identification is pretty straightforward, the combination of a plain unstreaked mantle, prominent supercilium (buff before the eye) and dark and pale marks in the rear of the ear coverts clearly indicating that this is an Olive-backed Pipit.