Mipits on the move

13 Sep 2013 Meadow Pipit reporting rate

Meadow Pipits, or Mipits as some birders call them, are not everyone's cup of tea. Small, brown, streaky and squeaky – you get the picture. They are also often tarred with the 'resident' tag, a term which masks the not-insubstantial movements these diminutive pipits embark on at this time of year. The BirdTrack reporting rates highlights mid to late September as the peak time to witness Meadow Pipit passage, as post-breeding dispersal is replaced by longer-distance movements of birds heading southwest to their wintering grounds. Ringing recoveries of birds ringed in Britain during the breeding season indicate that many spend the winter on the Iberian Peninsula. 



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