Summer Plumage Water Pipit

We saw several Water Pipits during our stay on Cyprus, all of which were in similar full summer plumage...quite spectacular birds and not often encountered like this.

EXIF Detail. F/8. Shutter 1/250s ISO 200. 0.0 EV. Focal length 500mm. Centre weighted metering. Taken from car window.

Rocks and Water compared

This Water Pipit has been present in the Marazion area of Mount's Bay area for most of the winter. This bird is not a text book Water Pipit. Although it shows some characteristics of a Scandinavian Rock Pipit, there are several key features pointing directly to Water Pipit. The white underparts with narrowly marked streaking, white belly and warm brown colouring on the mantle and yellow in the base of the bill eliminate littoralis. A Rock Pipit is also shown for comparison. (Thanks to Mush Ahmad for comments on this bird).

Rock Pipits below:

Water Pipit wintering at Marazion Beach

This Water Pipit has been present on the seaweed near the Red River at Marazion since late autumn. This site is a regular haunt every year but they can be quite tricky to catch up with. The light this morning was exceptional and the montage of shots below even hint of flash being used. Apart from cropping the edges to a more visual size, they are original. ISO was 400, aperture F/5.6 and shutter speed approached 2000th second.