Water Pipit

Above: Wembury, Devon (01 Dec 2012)

The lower two images show the all important extensive white in the outer tail feathers.

In Rock Pipit, the narrow outer web of the outermost tail feather is greyish or off-white along all of its length;, with just the inner web of the outermost tail feather similarly coloured in a narrowing triangle or wedge covering the distal third to half of the feather. The second outermost tail feather shows, at most, such pale colouring only at its extreme tip.

In Water Pipit, the outermost tail feather is pure white. The whole feather might be white or just the outer web and the distal third (tip) of the inner web. There is also an obvious white tip (and wedge) on the second outermost tail feather.