Tawny Pipits at Pennington Flash on 19th April 1984 (a species new to Greater Manchester)

At 1030 hrs. on 19th April, John Tymon and I came across three long-legged Pipits at Back-o'-Billy's (Pennington Flash). First impressions were of a Wheatear-like bird, but when one of the three came close, it was easily recognizable as a pipit, but longer than a Meadow Pipit and larger than a Reed Bunting close by. It was sandy-coloured with long legs which gave it a Wheatear like stance.

All three birds were very tame. We followed them round the field as they fed eagerly, running very quickly and sometimes perching in small bushes. They had an undulating flight and gave a Redwing-like "seep" call.

The upperparts were sandy-coloured, with faint pencil streaks on the mantle. The dark spots, bordered white, on the wing coverts stood out clearly. The primaries and secondaries had a pattern of alternatively dark and light colouring. The rump was unmarked brown and tail darker than the rest of the plumage. The white outer-tail feathers were only really noticeable in flight.

 The underparts were generally off-white with an orange tinge on the breast and buffish flanks. Two birds had afew darkish spots on the breast.

The bill was dark, eye large and dark with a prominent pale eye-stripe, ear-coverts unmarked, a faint moustachial stripe and crown unstreaked. The legs were very long, pale flesh-coloured in one bird and yellowish in the others.

Paul Brown