A local rarity - Blyth's Pipit at Blagdon Lake

On 21 December 2016 a bird that had been around a day or two locally was identified as a very rare Blyth's Pipit. They can be confused wth juvenile Tawny or Richard's pipits so had taken  couple of days to pin down the identification. It was already dark when we heard the news and so too late to go and see the bird even though it was at Blagdon Lake, which we can see from our house and is only 3 miles away. The next 2 days I frustratingly wasn't able to go see it because of other commitments and a family wedding.

On 22nd December 2016 I was finally able to see this rare bird and get good but flighty views. I managed to get a few record shots but nothing good. It was fantastic to be seeing  it especially so close to home. 

Blyth's Pipit is a medium sized passerine bird which breeds all the way in Mongolia and then migrates to Southern Asia. It was another fantastic Asian bird to arrive here this autumn. This was also the second rare bird at Blagdon Lake in 2 months which was amazing. They were both found by Nigel Milbourne, our friend who birds there every day.

Blyth's Pipit Blagdon Lake, Somerset
Photograph taken by and copyright Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig

Blyth's Pipit Blagdon Lake, Somerset
Photograph taken by and copyright Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig

Blyth's Pipit Blagdon Lake, Somerset
Photograph taken by and copyright Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig

About the Author

Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig in Antarctica
Photograph copyright Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig

Mya-Rose Craig is a 14 year old young British Bangladeshi birder, naturalist, conservationist, environmentalist, activist, writer and speaker. She is based near Bristol and writes the successful Birdgirl Blog, with posts about birding and conservation from around the world. She loved seeing Mountain Gorillas in East Africa and Penguins in Antarctica over Christmas 2015, her 7th continent.

Mya-Rose was a Bristol European Green Capital Ambassador along with Kevin McCloud, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Tony Juniper, Simon King, Miranda Krestovnikoff and Shaun the Sheep! See the full list of Bristol Ambassadors. She has also been listed with the singer songwriter George Ezra and actress Maisie Williams from Game of Thrones as one of Bristol's most influential young people. She organised a conference in June 2016 aiming to increase the ethnic diversity in nature. Please connect with her on LinkedIn (Mya-Rose Birdgirl Craig) so that she can invite you to join the Race Equality in Nature LinkedIn Group and be part of the change. Please like her Birdgirl Facebook Page and follow her on Birdgirl Twitter