Wagtails
Close reletives of pipits. Wagtails are generally found close to water, especially the Grey. However Pied are often at home in urban environments, especially motorway service station car parks, I find. Where they search for tit-bits dropped by motorists. A lovely group of birds, elegant and attractive.
Grey Wagtail - Always found by water. On river banks, canalsides, reservoir edges etc. A stunning bird. I've often heard people name a male grey wagtail as a Yellow Wagtail. You can understand why because a male in prime condition is very bright yellow underneath and on the rump.
Males
Females
Pied Wagtail - A common bird but non-the-less quite a stunner. They are found t a larger variety of habitats than the others. You will frequently see them at motorway service stations and on short grassland, but many still prefer to be by water. The male is blacker on the back than the female. These are year-round residents.
Photo 2 is a female and 4 is a juvenile
White Wagtail - A race of Pied Wagtail but with subtle plumage differences. They are also passage migrants, so you can see them in the Spring & Autumn but they don't breed here.
Yellow Wagtail - These are truly stunning birds. Neither of my photos does them true justice. When they arrive in the Spring in prime breeding plumage their yellow colouring is incredibly bright. Canary like. It's a shame they've decreased in number.
