Huntley Meadows Park
View allAll Photos Tagged meadow
Meadow Pipit - Anthus Pratensis
The meadow pipit (Anthus pratensis) is a small passerine bird which breeds in much of northwestern Eurasia, from southeastern Greenland and Iceland east to just east of the Ural Mountains in Russia, and south to central France and Romania; there is also an isolated population in the Caucasus Mountains. It is migratory over most of its range, wintering in southern Europe, North Africa and south-western Asia, but is resident year-round in western Europe. However, even here, many birds move to the coast or lowlands in winter.
It is primarily a species of open habitats, either uncultivated or low-intensity agriculture, such as pasture, bogs, and moorland, but also occurs in low numbers in arable croplands. In winter, it also uses saltmarshes and sometimes open woodlands. It is a fairly terrestrial pipit, always feeding on the ground, but will use elevated perches such as shrubs, fence lines or electricity wires as vantage points to watch for predators.
The estimated total population is 12 million pairs. It is an abundant species in the north of its range, and generally the commonest breeding bird in most of upland Britain, but less common further south. Breeding densities range from 80 pairs per square kilometre in northern Scandinavia, to 5–20 pairs per square kilometre in grassland in the south of the breeding range, and just one pair per square kilometre in arable farmland. There are a small number of isolated breeding records from south of the main range, in the mountains of Spain, Italy, and the northern Balkans.
There has been a general decline in the population over the past 17 years, most notable in French farmland, with a 68% drop.
The meadow pipit is a common nesting bird of moorland, heathland and rough grassland. In the autumn and winter, it moves out of upland areas to lowlands where it gathers in small flocks and can be found on farmland and saltmarshes. In the spring, it performs a fluttering, 'parachute' display flight. There are 2 million breeding territories in the UK.
On moorlands, meadow pipits are the most common 'foster parents' of young cuckoos. The adult cuckoo will lay a single egg in a meadow pipit's nest. After hatching, the cuckoo chick will push the other eggs or young birds out of the nest, giving its foster parents more time to concentrate on feeding their new, oversized chick.
Hope all my friends having great time. Myself and famiy are just settled in our marvelous typical old apartment. Still so many things to do though. I have so many pictures to show you and I hope I'll have more time for that in the future. This was from last may in Italy in the field.
_
Pentax K-5
SMC Pentax-M 50mm F1.7
_
© 2017 stefanorugolo | All rights reserved.
Taken in Lichfield
Thank you to everyone who views, favs or comments on my photos, it is always appreciated.
Taken in the Peak District, West Yorkshire.
As always, thank you so much for stopping by and for leaving any comments or faves, they are very much appreciated.
Na łące wśród polnej koniczyny i światła. /
On a meadow among the rabbitfood clover (Trifolium arvense) and light.
When its snowy and cold outside I like to look at some warm weather photos, the late summer flowers were still showing on this fun day