Wagtail lessons

Visit for April done and dusted. More of that later, but as a stopgap here are some wagtail photos.

To start with a sparkling male Yellow Wagtail at Gembling. This species is a summer migrant that typically arrives at the front of the first big wave of migrants. Unfortunately they have undergone a serious decline in recent decades though we still get a few pairs in the Kelk area.



Same bird agian. Crikey, just how yellow are they?



This next fella was also at Gembling - it's a White Wagtail, the continental race or subspecies of the more familiar resident Pied Wagtail. In East Yorkshire these are uncommon passage migrants mostly in Spring. Not rare but always a bonus.



Another view of the bird. Features to note; pale clean grey back and clear dividing line with the black cap, rump same colour as back, and distinct white dividing line between the bib and back. They're a fairly classic identification problem for novice birders, personally I feel they're one of those "you know when you've seen one" birds. If it doesn't quite look right it's probably Pied not White.



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Here's a female Pied Wagtail for comparison; note the grey back is similar but slightly blotchy and messily extends into the cap, and there is no clear white line between the bib and back. You can't see it here but the rump is darker than the back.
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More pictures and a report from the weekend to follow...