h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I can't decide whether it's a gray wagtail, in which case, that's about normal, except they usually winter along the East Coast of England, or a Yellow Wagtail, in which case this is an extremely rare site!


I know the little bird I saw was a wagtail because it wags its tail I need to have another look at it, hopefully tonight, to see which one it is.

It's quite strange because I've seen it twice now. Both times it's been sat on the ground near my car in the private car park. Perhaps it likes the colour of my car I've never seen this bird before. I've seen s and chaffinches and the such, but never any other wagtail apart from the pied wagtail (lovely little things they are).

I could wag my tail, if that's what interests you

Yay!

I've got goldfinches in our garden, never had them before

VV, we had a sparrowhawk in our garden yesterday. It had been feasting on a pigeon.. .. I'm not sure if there might have been two, because something quite large flew off as I went outside

Strangely enough, VV, the yellow wagtail is yellow, and the grey is grey.

They can be confusing, but the main area to look at is the head and back. The yellow, in the UK, has a yellow face and greenish yellow back, with a greyish stripe through the eye, and blackish flight feathers that run through to the tail. It also has black legs.

The grey has a slate grey head and back, and a black eye stripe, with dark flight feathers that are interrupted, before the tail, by yellow feathers both above and on the rump. It also has pink legs.

Be careful with the yellow as there are a number of distinct sub-species that have grey through to black heads.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/y/yellowwagtail/index.asp

http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/g/greywagtail/index.asp

Congratulations and happy watching...

MMF

All I remember was it's yellow(ish) belly which is why I'm unsure which one it is.



Hey mum...at least you didn't have a BIG bird of pray (I assume a Buzzard) sitting on the roof of the house behind you. It was massive!!!

The Buzzard was sitting on the washing line pole..

Although that was about 6 years ago..


.. and it was huge!!

Pah, not only do we get buzzards, but sparrow hawks, ravens and golden eagles so

ooooOOOOOoooo!!! Hark at him over there!!

well is it edible??


RJR (who missed his lunch and is really Hank Marvin)

That's naughty!! You should eat!