Showing posts with label WATER PIPIT (Anthus spinoletta). Show all posts
Showing posts with label WATER PIPIT (Anthus spinoletta). Show all posts
Wednesday, 1 December 2021
Wednesday, 17 November 2021
Monday, 22 February 2021
Friday, 5 February 2021
Friday, 15 January 2021
Thursday, 31 December 2020
Sunday, 6 December 2020
Wednesday, 15 January 2020
Thursday, 2 January 2020
Monday, 23 December 2019
Friday, 29 November 2019
Tuesday, 19 March 2019
Wednesday, 9 January 2019
Sunday, 6 January 2019
Sunday, 12 November 2017
12-11-2017 PEGO MARJAL, ALICANTE - WATER PIPIT (Anthus spinoletta)
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The Water Pipit (Anthus spinoletta) is a small, sprightly passerine bird, a denizen of the mountains of Southern Europe and the Palearctic, extending its range eastwards to the vastness of China. This bird is a short-distance migrant, often descending to lower altitudes or seeking the openness of wet lowlands when winter's grip takes hold.
In its breeding attire, the Water Pipit dons greyish-brown upperparts, modestly streaked with a darker hue, and a pale pink-buff on the underparts, which gently fades to a whitish tone on the lower belly. The head is adorned with a grey crown and a striking broad white supercilium, while the outer tail feathers flash white. Come winter, the plumage is more subdued; the head becomes grey-brown, the supercilium less pronounced, and the upperparts bear more pronounced streaking. The underparts transition to white, with light brown streaks gracing the breast and flanks. The three subspecies show only minor variations, and both sexes present a near-identical appearance, with the young resembling the adults.
The Water Pipit is a bird of the high mountains during the breeding season, favoring alpine meadows and pastures with short grass, often near wet areas or slopes.
This species breeds in the mountainous regions of southern Europe and across Asia to central China, with some populations residing on the Mediterranean islands of Sardinia and Corsica. In winter, many birds migrate to coastal wetlands, marshes, and rice fields.
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The Water Pipit is a bird that values its privacy, often proving more elusive and wary than its relatives. When disturbed, it takes to the wing, flying a considerable distance before alighting once more.
The Water Pipit's song is a series of four or five blocks, each composed of about six repetitions of a distinct short note, performed from a perch or during flight. Its call is a sharp "dzip," and its flight call a short, thin "fist," sitting between the calls of the Meadow and Rock Pipits.
Nests are artfully constructed cups of grass and leaves, concealed under vegetation or within cliff crevices. Clutches typically consist of four to six speckled greyish-white eggs, which incubate for about two weeks, with fledging occurring after another 14-15 days.
The Water Pipit's diet is primarily composed of small invertebrates, which it picks off the ground or vegetation. It occasionally catches insects mid-flight and may also consume some plant material, particularly in areas where insects are less abundant.
The Water Pipit is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, with a large and stable population spread across a vast range. Estimates suggest a European breeding population that could reach up to two million pairs, indicating a global population of tens of millions.
Wednesday, 22 February 2017
22-3-2017 PEGO MARJAL, ALICANTE - WATER PIPIT (Anthus spinoletta)
The Water Pipit (Anthus spinoletta) is a small, sprightly passerine bird, a denizen of the mountains of Southern Europe and the Palearctic, extending its range eastwards to the vastness of China. This bird is a short-distance migrant, often descending to lower altitudes or seeking the openness of wet lowlands when winter's grip takes hold.
In its breeding attire, the Water Pipit dons greyish-brown upperparts, modestly streaked with a darker hue, and a pale pink-buff on the underparts, which gently fades to a whitish tone on the lower belly. The head is adorned with a grey crown and a striking broad white supercilium, while the outer tail feathers flash white. Come winter, the plumage is more subdued; the head becomes grey-brown, the supercilium less pronounced, and the upperparts bear more pronounced streaking. The underparts transition to white, with light brown streaks gracing the breast and flanks. The three subspecies show only minor variations, and both sexes present a near-identical appearance, with the young resembling the adults.
The Water Pipit is a bird of the high mountains during the breeding season, favoring alpine meadows and pastures with short grass, often near wet areas or slopes.
This species breeds in the mountainous regions of southern Europe and across Asia to central China, with some populations residing on the Mediterranean islands of Sardinia and Corsica. In winter, many birds migrate to coastal wetlands, marshes, and rice fields.
The Water Pipit is a bird that values its privacy, often proving more elusive and wary than its relatives. When disturbed, it takes to the wing, flying a considerable distance before alighting once more.
The Water Pipit's song is a series of four or five blocks, each composed of about six repetitions of a distinct short note, performed from a perch or during flight. Its call is a sharp "dzip," and its flight call a short, thin "fist," sitting between the calls of the Meadow and Rock Pipits.
Nests are artfully constructed cups of grass and leaves, concealed under vegetation or within cliff crevices. Clutches typically consist of four to six speckled greyish-white eggs, which incubate for about two weeks, with fledging occurring after another 14-15 days.
The Water Pipit's diet is primarily composed of small invertebrates, which it picks off the ground or vegetation. It occasionally catches insects mid-flight and may also consume some plant material, particularly in areas where insects are less abundant.
The Water Pipit is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, with a large and stable population spread across a vast range. Estimates suggest a European breeding population that could reach up to two million pairs, indicating a global population of tens of millions.
Sunday, 19 February 2017
19-2-2017 PEGO MARJAL, ALICANTE - WATER PIPIT (Anthus spinoletta)
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The Water pipit (Anthus spinoletta ) is a small passerine bird which breeds in the mountains of Southern Europe and the Palearctic eastwards to China. They are short-distance migrants, construct cup-shaped nests, and feed on various small invertebrates picked off the ground or vegetation.
Adult Water pipits in spring plumage have greyish-brown upperparts, weakly streaked with darker brown, and pale pink-buff underparts fading to whitish on the lower belly. There may be some faint streaking on the breast and flanks. Their head is grey with a broad white supercilium. The outer tail feathers are white, and the legs, bill and iris are dark brown or blackish. In non-breeding plumage, the head is grey-brown and the supercilium is less distinct. The upperparts are more streaked, and the underparts are white, marked lightly with brown on the breast and flanks.
The sexes are similar although the female has, on average, a greyer head. Young birds resembles the non-breeding adult, but are browner and more streaked above with prominent streaking on the underparts.
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Water pipits breed in the mountains of southern Europe and Asia from Spain to central China, along with the Mediterranean islands of Sardinia and Corsica. These birds migrate relatively short distances; some populations winter mainly in western and southern Europe and in northwestern Africa; in western Europe some birds show fidelity to the same wintering site, returning each year. Birds in Spain move only lower down the mountains in which they breed. Others winter at lower altitudes near their breeding areas and also in the Arabian Peninsula and northeast Africa. Some birds winter in Pakistan, northwest India, and southern China. Water pipits breed in alpine pastures and high meadows with short grass and some bushes or rocks. They are typically found close to wetter areas and often on slopes. Wintering grounds typically include coastal wetlands, marshes, rice fields, and similar habitats.
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Water pipits are wary birds and if approached they fly some distance before landing again. They are active during the day spending most of their time foraging alone or in pairs; in bad weather, they forage more frequently and tend to concentrate around marmot burrow entrances. Water pipits typically sing from a perch or in flight. Their song consists of four or five blocks, each consisting of about half a dozen repetitions of a different short note. It is a sequence of about twenty tinkling ‘cheepa’ notes followed by a rising series of thin ‘gee’ calls, and finishing with a short trill. The call of these birds is a single or double sharp ‘dzip’. Water pipits leave their breeding grounds in mid-September, although eastern populations may start moving south before then. The spring migration starts in February and March and birds return to the breeding grounds in April and May.
Water pipits are mainly monogamous and form pairs, although both, the males and the females may deviate from this occasionally. To attract a female the male performs a display flight in which he climbs to 10-30 meters (33-98 ft), flies in an arc, and glides back down, singing throughout. The female constructs a cup nest from grass and leaves which is lined with finer plant material and animal hairs. The nest is hidden in vegetation on the ground, sometimes in a hollow. The normal clutch is 4-6 eggs laid from the end of April to early July. The female incubates the eggs for 14-15 days until they hatch. Chicks are altricial (helpless); they are fed initially by the male, with both parents sharing the duty after a few days when the female does not need to brood so often. The young fledge in a further 14-15 days and there may be two broods in a year.
Friday, 3 February 2017
3-2-2017 ALBUFERA, VALENCIA - WATER PIPIT (Anthus spinoletta)
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The Water Pipit (Anthus spinoletta) is a small, sprightly passerine bird, a denizen of the mountains of Southern Europe and the Palearctic, extending its range eastwards to the vastness of China. This bird is a short-distance migrant, often descending to lower altitudes or seeking the openness of wet lowlands when winter's grip takes hold.
In its breeding attire, the Water Pipit dons greyish-brown upperparts, modestly streaked with a darker hue, and a pale pink-buff on the underparts, which gently fades to a whitish tone on the lower belly. The head is adorned with a grey crown and a striking broad white supercilium, while the outer tail feathers flash white. Come winter, the plumage is more subdued; the head becomes grey-brown, the supercilium less pronounced, and the upperparts bear more pronounced streaking. The underparts transition to white, with light brown streaks gracing the breast and flanks. The three subspecies show only minor variations, and both sexes present a near-identical appearance, with the young resembling the adults.
The Water Pipit is a bird of the high mountains during the breeding season, favoring alpine meadows and pastures with short grass, often near wet areas or slopes.
This species breeds in the mountainous regions of southern Europe and across Asia to central China, with some populations residing on the Mediterranean islands of Sardinia and Corsica. In winter, many birds migrate to coastal wetlands, marshes, and rice fields.
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