|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
A Gallery of Scandinavian Rock Pipit in Christchurch Harbour For the last few years, it has been suspected that a percentage of the Rock Pipit that winter on Stanpit may be of the Scandinavian race littoralis. The first real claims were made in March 2005 and related to birds moulting into breeding plumage, click here for photos, The subsequent appearance of a particularly bright individual in February 2007 sparked renewed interest and many more photographs, a selection of which are posted below. The location of winter pipits within the recording area can be used as an indicator as to the likely species or race. Rock Pipit seen on the Hengistbury shoreline or Stanpit river bank are almost exclusively Western European petrosus birds, some of which are thought to be resident and form the Hengistbury breeding population. However, Rock Pipit encountered on the saline marshes of Stanpit are candidates for littoralis race. Of course, many are simply indistinguishable from petrosus, but there are often individuals that stand out from the crowd. Of the other two pipit species, Water Pipit are rare, but are most often found on Priory Marsh, which is irrigated with fresher, river water; while, as would be expected, Meadow Pipit can be encountered almost anywhere. Thanks to the photographers, who are not always the ones making the claims one way or another. Comments are welcome on any of the birds pictured below.
The shot below is of a less conclusive bird, but frequenting the same area and showing some characteristics of littoralis.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
