Water Pipits in western Drenthe are scarce passage migrants of which – in some years – very small numbers remain during winter. Peak presence was recorded in November, with a minor second peak during spring migration in April. Their preference for open habitats is reflected in a large flight distance (mean 34.4 m, SD = 11.5, range 15-46 m, n = 9) compared to Meadow Pipits Anthus pratensis, which occupied well-vegetated rough meadows and wet heaths (mean 23.3 m, SD = 10.6, range 5-60 m, n = 386). On 30 October 2022, a juvenile Water Pipit was foraging along the muddy shoreline of a shallow fen in the open ecozone of heathland and a brook. The bird was followed for 391 sec, during which period it paused and scanned the environment for bouts of 10, 20, 11, 6 en 9 sec. Foraging was restricted to wet mud and water up to a depth of reaching halfway the metatarsus. Series of paces were frequently interrupted by standing still for a second or two (distinct from scanning the environment for danger), altogether 494 steps during the observation session of 391 sec. An area of only 2 by 5 meters (out of hundreds of square meters of suitable foraging habitat) was covered in repeating loops, indicating that insect prey was continuously replenished (mostly small flies, the only common insect prey present). A total of 38 catching attempts were recorded, of which 31 were successful (the rest probably as well, but bird facing away from observer, and swallowing could not be registered), i.e. 5.8 catching attempts per min. Conditions conducive to longer stays (open space, shallow water, abundance of insect food, absence of frost) are rarely met in the setting of western Drenthe, given the scarcity of wintering Water Pipits in 1990-2022.