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Water Pipit

Status Fairly common transient, rare in winter. Pipits usually first appear in early May (average 11 May, earliest 17 April); a flock on the Grand Pre meadowlands on 29 March 1943 could have wintered locally. Generally flocks are small and few in spring and are last seen in late May or early June (average 23 May, latest 15 June). During the 1960s there were several reports by Betty June and Sidney Smith of summer individuals on Cape Sable (15 August 1963 and 1964, 5 August 1967, and 30 July 1968), and by Christel Bell on Sable Island (3 August 1965, 6 August 1969). These are far too early to be normal autumn transients, which otherwise have first appeared in September (average 12 September, earliest 1 September). Large flocks are seen from mid September through October, especially in coastal areas. It is generally last seen in November but has turned up regularly in small numbers on Christmas Bird Counts around the province. Two were seen at Lawrencetown, Halifax County, on 2 February 1963, and it is perhaps regular in winter on Cape Sable, where 25 were recorded on 15 January 1969.

Description Length: 15.5-18 cm. Adults in spring: Grayish brown above; light buff stripe above eye; underparts buff, breast and sides very lightly streaked with dark brown; outer tail feathers white. Adults in autumn: Similar but somewhat darker above, underparts more streaked with brown.

Range In North America, it breeds from northern Alaska, the Mackenzie Delta, northern Baffin Island, and Greenland, south to Newfoundland, the Gaspe Peninsula, northern Ontario and, in the western mountains, to Arizona. Winters in the United States and Mexico, casually further north. Also found in the Old World.

Remarks Although fairly common, this bird is not well known to the beginning birder for two reasons. First, its preferred habitat is remote from human habitation, and, second, it is highly terrestrial. When the beginner stumbles on a small flock quietly feeding on the ground, the birds immediately spring into the air as one, with choruses of a sharp high-pitched dee-dee-dee, their note of alarm, and hurry off in loose formation so quickly that there is no time to discern their distinctive marks. Its tail tipping habit and white outer tail feathers are distinctive characteristics.