This, like the Little Curlew, was a prize for several of the European contingent, as Pech Pipit is a very rare vagrant to western Europe. Once again, this bird was picked up by our guide, Nial Moores, (who has possibly THE best ear of anyone I've ever birded with) from a quick glimpse and a single call-note as it flushed up out of a garden on Eocheong. We finally tracked the bird back down and had phenominal looks at the bird from as little as 10 feet, pretty good for a notorious skulker. I got a couple of decent shots with my Coolpix and Opticzoom, but a Belgian birder and photographer got some shots with a 500mm Nikon lens that will make your jaw drop!

Even though not a good shot or angle on the bird, it is perfect for one diagnostic mark on Pechora Pipit, the obvious primary extension past the tertials. None of the other Pipits show primary extension. The pale tram lines and black streaking on the mantle is also obvious, even on this fairly dull Pechora.