Feeding, roosting and habitat preferences of wintering Water Pipits in southern Yorkshire

摘要

Water Pipits Anthus spinoletta is a scarce passage migrant and wintering visitor to Britain and is often the highlight of a day's winter bird recording. Breeding in the high mountains of central Europe, small numbers of birds can be found in winter mostly in the lowlands of southern England associated with wetlands such as coastal fresh water marshes or brackish pools, inland marshes, rivers, sewage farms and, especially, watercress beds (Balmer et al. 2013, Lack 1986). Water Pipits were described asoccurring in Yorkshire occasionally between October and April with a scattering of records at inland sites (Mather 1986) but increasingly small numbers (up to about 20 per annum) have been found in the county and with regularity in winter at sites suchas Swillington Ings in the Aire valley and at Blacktoft Sands (YNU Bird Reports 2012-2015).