A flock of well over 100 pied wagtails, skittering about in the air above the car park and the great metal building I live in, their characteristic undulating flight marked with a flutey "phee-weeep" call as they reach the top of the arc unmistakable even without a close view of the birds.
We have a big communal roost in some trees on our campus, and that is where they keep warm and safe in the colder months. I've seen such roosts in some strange places; the line of illuminated trees outside The Bell pub in Nottingham is a great spot to find them, their little bodies lit up by the coloured bulbs.
But our roost is my favourite one.
The flight and sounds are exactly the same as this...
You keep warm too!
Si
All text copyright CreamCrackeredNature 20.10.16
When you say "returned" where have they been because ours seem to be here all the year around ?
ReplyDeleteCoincidentally, I was watching a small group of wagtails yesterday as they scurried constantly just in front of the incoming waves rushing up the beach. They always seem as though they will be overwhelmed by the next wave, but at the last second, they effortlessly avoid it!
ReplyDeleteI don't think our wagtails go anywhere else - I seem to see them on each and every visit to the beach, so maybe it IS your work schedules that have prevented you from seeing them.
I live on the edge of Bodmin Moor in East Cornwall and they are often seen here, too (they seem to take a particular interest in the animal droppings - juicy grubs in there????) Yuk!!!
The wagtails return to this roost in huge numbers in winter...obviously they are common birds at all times of the year, but never seen in more than twos and threes really. In winter, they are in their hundreds.
ReplyDeleteWagtails are such lovely birds and they're a welcome sight come this time of year. - Tasha
ReplyDeleteThey're all over the place here, too. Charming little birds.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great little film of them at the airport, clever little things.
ReplyDeleteI cycled past the roost tonight, there was a lot of racket in the trees, no doubt to increase when the latecomers arrived and tried to squeeze in
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your post and also because they've arrived here in large numbers recently I read up on them. They leave their northern breeding grounds to come south for the winter, hence the large numbers around at present.
ReplyDeletePs wonderful film of them. So sweet!
ReplyDeleteThere used to be quite a few around my village some years ago but seem much rarer these days. I did spot one yesterday high up on a rooftop.
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