A
pied wagtail "chiswicks" as it struts around the driveway just metres from me, and a house sparrow preens silently on the hut roof, appearing remarkably relaxed and nonchalant for such an exposed location.
The propensity to play may however, not be one of the essential attributes of wagtails, yet this clan, most notably in the form of the
pied wagtail, are to me naturally comedic birds in appearance, the "Coco the Clown" of the avian world.
1 Starlings 2 Avocet 3 Ravens 4 Turtle dove 5 Peregrine Falcon 6 Barn Owl 7 Oystercatcher 8 House martin 9 Goldfinch 10 Little Egret 11
Pied wagtail 12 Kestrel 13 Wren 14 Song Thrush 15 Yellowhammer 16 Bullfinch 17 Peacock 18 Magpie 19 Cuckoo 20 Waxwing Once rare to our shores, these are now a common sight Often seen hovering over road verges Could be mistaken for a robin if you only catch a glimpse ed or Recently spotte in an Asda car park, this visitoarrived from Russia and northern Europpe
Ray Simpson, from Marske, sent in this photo of a
pied wagtail at Locke Park in Redcar
I WAS glad to see the
pied wagtail roosting in Tesco, Norfolk, was saved from the firing squad.
I've been seeing good numbers of white wagtails, the continental version of our cheeky
pied wagtail, on the Conwy estuary this week, with loose groups of up to 30 over the weekend, and a few wheatears among them.
Who would have thought the large expanse of car-friendly tarmac would provide such a happy hunting ground for the
pied wagtail? I have no idea why they prefer car parks to nature parks but, even while out shopping, you could add these birds to your list from the comfort of your car.
Of the 50 species it uses, the meadow pipit, reed warbler, dunnock and
pied wagtail are the most favoured.
The seven exceptions are three (Grey Partridge,
Pied Wagtail, Coal Tit) in which an important part of the national population ([sim]50%) is not covered by the CBC, and four (Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Redstart, Pied Flycatcher) with most of their national population not covered by the CBC.
`As I worked, I turned my head and watched, somewhat behind me, a
pied wagtail pecking and picking the grubs and seeds from the lines and I suddenly thought about Jesus telling us to consider the birds.
Yet I can never remember seeing a fledgling
pied wagtail...