‘Yesterday 3 December while going for a walk at the bois Omar Ibn el-Khattab (fôret Moulay Abdellah) in Rabat I heard and very briefly saw an Olive-backed Pipit. Sadly there are no pictures or recordings, as I was not out to see birds.

The bird was first detected near the entrance facing the Nigerian embassy, calling it’s soft metallic, downturning call. The bird must have been on the tree tops and called a few times. Some 5-10 minutes later, further ahead (roughly here) I heard the >pssiü< call again (and a few >pss< >pss< in between) and briefly saw a small pipit (roughly the size of a Meadow Pipit) flying over me. It stopped calling and I lost it behind a pine tree. I think it might have stayed for the night as it was close to sunset.

Last winter at the same location I saw one Olive-backed Pipit in November and two in early March (on the following day of having found them have recorded one of them)’

(Pedro Fernandes)