Another ID with a better photo!!!

[Jacqueline Burrell]

Seen in late October on the Red Sea coast.

Cheers

Jacqueline

[Graham Etherington]

That's a Red-throated Pipit. Juveniles and winter birds don't have a red throat, but the creamy-white 'tram-lines' running down it's back, the boldly streaked underparts and streaking on the rump identifies it as one.

[AndyB]

Hi Jacqueline, Graham has IDed your bird. It's a nice shot. Red-throated Pipit has quite a distinctive call if you hear one fly up. Look out for birds in the spring heading north to their breeding grounds. Many of them will have nice rusty brick red faces and throats (see below).

Graham's notes help to separate it from Meadow Pipit and I had a search in the galleries and as always the talented photographers who post there have posted some great shots that help illustrate Graham's pointers. Thought I would post them here for future users who find this thread in a search.

Note the bolder tramlines on the back, bolder more extensive spotting on whiter underparts on Red-throated Pipit.

http://www.surfbirds.com/media/gallery_photos/20041023075701.jpg
Meadow Pipit, Cornwall, Drift Res Sep 04 © Sean R Cole

http://www.surfbirds.com/media/gallery_photos/20051023022724.jpg
Red-Throated Pipit, St Marys, Isles of Scilly 13/10/2005 © Ian Butler

Here's a red-throated bird

http://www.surfbirds.com/media/gallery_photos/20051019012050.jpg
Red-throated Pipit, egypt, na'ama bay oct 05 © dave farrow

[Jacqueline Burrell]

Hi Graham and Andy

I should have had the courage of my convictions, as a red-throated pipit was my amateur guess!! Both the notes and the superb photos are really helpful for future identification.

Many thanks :smile:

Jacqueline

[Sean Cole]

I particularly like the Meadow pipit photo above :wink:

i may be out of date with this, but I thought that a good feature for RT pipit was that the base of the lower mandible is yellow not pinkish, and more restricted in size.
Sean

[AndyB]

Yes, another good feature.

Great shot Sean - was that digiscoped?