grey wagtail
On Friday Sally and I visited Ashenbank Wood at Cobham. This wood is surprisingly good for birds and we had excellent views of nuthatch, treecreeper, great spotted woodpecker, and a mixed flock of blue, great and long tailed tits. Several bird watchers have taken to putting up bird feeders in the wood – using peanuts, sunflower seeds and fat balls. A bit of a cheat perhaps – but it seems to work! This time last year we also saw coal and marsh tit on the feeders.
We then went on to Shorne Country Park for tea and cakes and we were greeted by a very smart grey wagtail feeding around the cafe tables. It clearly thought that it looked pretty handsome because it spent a lot of time displaying to its reflected image in the cafe window. This is the first time we have seen a grey wagtail in the park.
grey wagtail displaying to its own image
Later that evening, however, as Sally was logging the sightings on BTO Bird Track we were reminded that we had seen a grey wagtail last year not far from Cobham War Memorial. So perhaps they are regular winter visitors to this area. Has anyone else seen this species in Gravesend?
Not to be outdone a pied wagtail was also feeding at the tables and it clearly enjoyed crumbs from Sally’s shortbread biscuit.
pied wagtail
I kept mine to myself.
I have had grey wagtail in the garden a couple of times in the last few years, only one and generally around the pond. They don’t stay around, just a few minutes or so and then they fly off.
A friend who is great on bird song/calls has heard them flying over my house several times (the last being September) so they are obviously around, we just need to get better at finding/hearing them perhaps. Another resolution ready to be broken I fear.
I used to get one regularly in the garden too – on the waterfall on my pond. Not seen one in the garden for over a year though.