Meadow Pipit's Nest

Mike Raine (July)

At this time of the year the hills are alive with the sound of meadow pipits. That âÂ.Â.Little Brown JobâÂ.Â. flitting around you on the grassy areas of the hills will most likely be a Meadow Pipit trying to attract you away from its nest. If you are very observant and notice where it takes off from you may be lucky enough to finds its nest.
I had a stroke of luck recently when this very thing happened to me and I chanced upon these chicks in the Llanberis Pass. I think they are Meadow Pipit Chicks but, watch out, because CuckooâÂ.Â.s use Meadow Pipits as hosts to their own eggs. They remove the Meadow Pipit egg and replace it with one of their own, the Meadow Pipit then, blissfully unaware does the hard work of raising the chick on behalf of the now itinerant Cuckoo.