Pied Wagtail ....!

[Outlaw Pete 2,224]

You f**king Beauty!!!!!

 

Even as I've been sitting here, engrossed in this place, she's f**king wandered, unseen, straight into one of my traps, set right outside the bloody window!

 

I had a couple of sparrows earlier and was complacently waiting for their little tribe to come back. Glanced up and saw Her in one of them!

 

This is the hen bird of the pair who live here. They may well be nesting in my stables. Hellish little buggers to find though.

 

Although I feel I have it sussed now. Certain place to look for them. I'll not disturb them till I see them ferrying food.

 

Now, if her husband should suddenly decide to check out my traps .....

 

 

 

 

 

[Rob58 1,607]

Nice one pete there great little birds.

[fireman 11,038]

Lovely and well done ,now for the cock bird

[Mr Wilkes 3,084]

We have one that comes for about 3 weeks begining of autumn ..always by its self...wierd !..nice catch pete

[squab 2,875]

cracking little birds,easy to watch if you know what i mean,found a nest few years ago under a cardboard box,yep sounds strange but i remember it vividly as the same day i got a large blackthorn spike stuck in my back.out of interest how do you know the difference between male and female cheers

[paulus 26]

theres loads down the lanes, always on the tarmac when i was a kid they always nested in the pisswhips at the sewerage works, great big blue brick circles full of gravel, 4 arms on wires that were driven around by a 2 stroke fantic engine, the piss went out the arms and was filtered through the gravel then it was pumped into the grass plots around 40 acres of wetland graded and filtered through water cress, they nested in the centre where there was a bearing and 4 segments, sometimes there was 4 nests in each bearing one for each arm segment. these bearings were floated on mercury, fook knows how i am not dead i had jam jars full of the stuff

[Outlaw Pete 2,224]

..... now for the cock bird

 

 

He was out there today ..... Damn. I'm sorry, mate. I just typed a few more paragraphs there. Explaining my observations and ideas on why, when and what ever.

 

Unfortunately ~ and not in the least unjustifiably ~ what I'd proposed could be construed as me handing out handy little tips on how to catch birds. I could get sacked for that.

 

Really have to watch what one says, after a long Friday night .....

 

Anyway, yeah, the cock bird? He's another story altogether! Funny bugger! If He hands himself in? I'll show ye some fascinating 'Before and After' shots

[Outlaw Pete 2,224]

We have one that comes for about 3 weeks begining of autumn ..always by its self...wierd !..nice catch pete

 

You Are Certain they're Pied's. Not White's, mate?

 

I ask this because I too get these 'Strangers, Passing Through', around about the arse end of the season.

 

Very easy, if ye haven't honed ye eye to look out for them, to just shrug, and figure this must be a " Young, female Pied. " Look again. Check ye reference's. Then, look Again! (And again!)

[Outlaw Pete 2,224]

..... out of interest how do you know the difference between male and female cheers

 

In a word, mate? Black! The male bird, seen at all well, shows nicely defined, solid, jet black. Over his head and down his back and wings.

 

Female's just washed out, by comparison.

 

Now; That's without any reference to any field guides, look. I'm not claiming any credentials as a " Birder ". That's just me, glancing out the window and seeing these birds, as you might, for a few minutes a day. Usually separately. And separated by hours.

 

That's just what seems obvious to me. Try it