Pipit 4/5 - Red-throated Pipit (Lifer 493)

                               

A super find in Pulau Tioman during my company trip in month of April 2018 is this vagrant Red-throated Pipit. The brick red colored of its face to its throat  indicates its a maturing adult. I notice that its white and dark olived streak feathers is also prominent compared to the other pipits that I have seen in Peninsula.

It was a single bird foraging amongst half a dozen or more  Grey Wagtails on the golf course Hole 18.  As it was in the open and no cover I can only shoot from a far distance of 200ft. As I tried approaching nearer; it will just fly further away from me.

PIPIT 3/5 - Blyth's Pipit

Lifer 471 - Can you believe it, this is the second record that this visiting  bird is been photographed in Peninsula. The first time was in Chuping Perlis by yours truly Dave B.That was in the year 2010. On that occasion  it was a day affair and the bird was not to be seen in the vast sugarcane plantation after that. It most probably was there but its like  a needle in the haystack to find it.

Coming forward to 2017 surprise!  it came this far south.... this is the first time it is been photographed in Perak central peninsula . The good thing is that it stayed for a good part of January until now. Though it is very cautious and vigilant of the humankind and other predators around, it has carved out a  niche at Malim Nawar birding site.

Usually the MO to shoot this bird is from your car. Anytime you embark and walk openly to shoot, it will fly to safety like wagtails usually do. So a good beanbag or pillow over your side window screen helps.

Now if you see a pipit feeding as shown in  the pictures below chances is that its a  Blyth's. This bird tends to jump to pluck seeds to eat in this case the mimosa. The other Paddyfield's Pipit prefers to take grubs and dropped grass seeds from the ground. The bird was seen to be quite aggressive. It would chased away the other pipits but not the grey wagtail which it allowed it into its territory. Paddyfield's usually are seen in a pair whilst the Blyth's keep to itself during visiting Malaysia.

    

PIPIT 2/5 - Olive-backed Pipit

Olive-backed Pipit

This photo was takensometime back at Ulu Kali. Later after hearing from Yen that there is a migrant pipit at the mountain top that I review back my pipit photos taken there. Basing on the appearance my deduction is its the one le.

Olive-backed Pipit or Olive Tree Pipit has greenish brown streaked with darker brown above. Supercilium, double wingbar and outer rectrices whitish. Whitish to buff below streaked with dark brown on breast and flanks. Sexes are alike Usually seen singly or pairs. Runs about on the ground in search of food and flies up into trees when disturbed. Flight jerky and undulating. Song lark-like and uttered on the wing, similar to the Tree Pipit, but faster and higher pitched. A single tseep or spek, also similar to the Tree Pipit. They feed on largely Insects but also take grass and weed seeds. The one I saw was hunting for dropped moths at the radar station in the wee morning.

The Olive-backed Pipit, is a stout ie more rounded passerine bird of the pipit (Anthus) genus about 16-17 cm long, which breeds across South, north Central and East Asia, as well as in the northeast of European Russia. It is a long-distance migrant moving in winter to southern Asia and Indonesia. When visiting Peninsula Malaysia it tends to be at the higher elevation upto 2,800m. Ulu Kali for a fact is about 1,800m above sea level. Paddyfield and Richard's sightings are recorded at lower altitude below 1,500m

PIPIT 1/5 - Paddyfield Pipit

 Paddyfield Pipit

To ID a pipit to me is really a chore and a confusing affair as to me it look alike for the several subspecies that visit our country during. Hopefully with the guidance of fellow birders I will stumble upon rarity like Richard's & Rosy in peninsula Malaysia.

The pipits are active terrestrial birds that usually spend most of their time on the ground. They will fly in order to display during breeding, while migrating and dispersing, and also when flushed by danger. A few species make use of trees, perching in them and flying to them when disturbed. Low shrubs, rocks and termite nests may also be used as vantage points. Like their relatives the wagtails, pipits engage in tail-wagging. The way in which a pipit does this can provide clues to its identity in otherwise similar looking species. Upland Pipits, for example, flick their tails quite quickly, as opposed to Olive-backed Pipits which wag their tails more gently.In general pipits move their tails quite slowly.

The exact function of tail-wagging is unclear; in the related wagtails it is thought to be a signal to predators of vigilance.