Ringing

This bird Olive-backed Pipit was identifiedAnthus hodgsoni yunnanensis based on the measurements however this bird has caused quite a stir -
see http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=108253

and the current thinking is that it is a Tree Pipit not an Olive-backed today we recieved from Juhani Kyyrö who now lives back in Finland 2 further photographs.

I have slotted them in first above the original post plus a third picture which is of a Tree pipit caught here last April

A TREE PIPIT for comparison

For a second Tree Pipit caught here see this link
http://www.virtual-bird.com//gallery/2006-04-10/images/_KYY3055.jpg
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This is the original post -
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The bird was netted and ringed by Dr. Brendan Kavanagh back on 5th October 2007 - (while I was away) - Juhani Kyyrö (Juhani.Kyyro@sci.fi) has since left and we have only just been able to put his Photographs and Brendans Observations together -
the measurements for the birds were as follows

Hind claw 6.8 (see photo!)
Wing 85
Weight 17.9
Tail 58
Bill skull 15.0
Bill depth 3.3 (dist edge nostril)
Bill depth (Proximal edge of nostril) 3.6
Bill width (Proximal edge of nostril) 4.2
Emargination 3,4,5
2nd Primary 4/5
5th Primary 2.5 less than Wing point

Olive-backed Pipit

Comments are welcome on the original observation on the species made back in 1995
SEE http://www.osme.org/sand191/bahrain.html

Report of 1st observation of this species in Bahrain
MICHAL SKAKUJ AND TADEUSZ STAWARCZYK

Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni

During a visit to Badan Farm on 2 December 1995 MS noticed a small pipit perched on a wire 300 metres away. Through his telescope the relatively unstreaked olive upperparts and distinct head pattern were noticed, suggesting Olive-backed Pipit. Subsequently it landed on a bush and was observed at 10-18 metres for 10 minutes, allowing him to compile a detailed description and photograph the bird (Plate 1). Despite searching it was not relocated in the days following.

General appearance. A little smaller than Tree Pipit A. trivialis, in silhouette closer to Meadow Pipit A. pratensis, which was observed nearby.
Plumage. Olive upperparts with some greyish tones in some light conditions. Mantle and scapulars lightly streaked, but streaking distinctly less obvious than on Tree or even Water Pipit A. spinoletta. Rump unstreaked. Dark olive-brownish tertials clearly fringed whitish-yellow. Greater and median coverts fringed pale yellow forming two distinct wing-bars. Olive cap streaked blackish, with dark border above rear part of supercilium. Broad supercilium, clearly whitish behind the eye and yellowish with some warmer shades near bill base. Lores blackish. Ear-coverts relatively pale centred with distinct dark border. At rear lower part of ear-coverts a black spot and smaller white spot just above it noted. Striking dark malar widest at base. Breast distinctly spotted with black, on upper part spots and malar bases formed almost continuous band across breast. Flank streaking more diffuse, fainter and less distinct. Breast, flanks and submoustachial warm yellowish, but base colour to rest of underparts pure white. Tail dark olive- blackish with whitish outermost rectrices.
Bare parts. Bill shorter and higher compared to Meadow Pipit, yellowish-pink with slightly darker tip. Legs pinkish-yellow with short hind claw.
Voice. Call very similar to Tree Pipit, 'dzeep' or 'zeet'.

Olive-backed Pipit breeds in the taiga zone of northern Siberia, wintering principally in south-east Asia (Cramp 1988). In the Middle East most records are from Israel, where it a regular but rare migrant and winter visitor in October-April (Shirihai 1996), UAE - 15 records by the end of 1995 (Richardson & Aspinall 1996) and eastern Saudi Arabia (Bundy et al. 1989). It is a scarce winter visitor to Masirah island, Oman (OBRC 1994), there are at least two recent records in Kuwait (see Sandgrouse 18 (2): 78) and single records in Turkey (Kirwan 1993) and Iran (Scott 1994). Most Arabian records are in autumn. The December record from Bahrain is the first for the country and suggests overwintering. Nevertheless because of its secretive behaviour it could have been overlooked in the region.

We managed to catch a bevy of Rock Thrush this week plus a Desert Wheatear and a Great Grey Shrike - the ssp of which is still under review.

Great Grey Shrike

Desert Wheatear

Rock Thrush

The second bird - much bigger than the first

Blue Rock Thrush