Richard's Pipit is a medium-sized passerine which breeds in
open grasslands in Siberia. It is a long distance migrant
moving to open lowlands in south Asia, east Africa and
Australia. It is a rare but regular vagrant to western
Europe. It was named after the French naturalist Monsieur
Richard of Lunéville. Pipits are also called 'titlark' or 'fieldlark'
and are named after their call note.
There have been eight Richard's Pipit reported from S.
Gloucestershire;
2012: (1)
One possibly this species was seen at Oldbury Power Station
on January 29th - 30th and again on February 6th.
I
found what I think was a Richard’s Pipit, with 37
Yellowhammer in the hedge just before Thornbury Yacht Club.
I had been watching the Yellowhammers for about an hour,
getting an accurate count of them. They were quite flighty,
but happily flying between the salt marsh and the hedge. I
was checking the flock in my scope and found the pipit. The
most striking thing about it was the huge hind-claws, which
were over 1cm long and very obvious as the bird perched on a
twig. As it was in the hedge with the Yellowhammers, which
were happily flying between the salt marsh and the hedge, I
was expecting to get prolonged views of it. Annoyingly, when
the Yellowhammers flew back to the salt marsh, the pipit
flew high on its own in the opposite direction ! It appeared
to land in the green grassy field (last on left when walking
to Thornbury Yacht Club from OPS). (Pete Hazelwood)
2011: (1)
A
'large' pipit thought to be this species was reported
feeding on Northwick Warth on October 15th.
2010: (1)
On September 30th site bird surveyors reported one flying
over Thornbury Yacht Club with a group of Skylark early in
the afternoon.
2009: (1)
On November 14th one was seen and heard as it flew
south-west over New Passage in the morning at 11:00.
2007: (1)
On March 9th one was reported in the morning as 'showing
well' for just three or four minutes between 08:45 and 08:48
with Skylarks near the flash at Northwick Warth. It was last
seen and heard calling, flying north towards Aust Warth.
2006: (1)
On November 5th one, probably this species, was heard
calling three times flying south over Northwick Warth at
around 09:25.
1996: (1)
On October 22nd a single bird was flushed several times from
Lagoon II at Oldbury Power Station.
1993: (1)
On November 27th a winter adult was found at Aust Warth and
remained in the area until November 30th. This occurrence
constitutes the first report of this species for S.
Gloucestershire.