White Wagtails

White Wagtails are fascinating birds. In the UK we call our darker sub-species the Pied Wagtail.

White Wagtail - Caffarella - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Even though it’s a common bird and it’s officially classified as of ‘least concern’ it still faces threats. Amazingly, two of those are being kept as pets and being shot and eaten.

White Wagtail - Caffarella - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

It’s one of the species I wrote about in my childhood nature notebooks:

They are constantly on the move:

White Wagtail - Caffarella - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

It’s also one of the species I see quite often at UK motorway service stations, pecking and wagging in the car parks. Here’s my desperate experience of the UK’s road system and the joy of seeing a Wagtail at the services:

This one is in the Parco della Caffarella in Rome:

White Wagtail - Caffarella - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

That incessant tail-wagging is slightly disturbing. Here it is illustrated in a 1950s Ladybird book:

Watching them is still a pleasure:

White Wagtail - Caffarella - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

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