The Pied Wagtail

Pied Wagtails are one of the most common visitors to our garden (along with Robins and Song Thrush). I think they love our pond because they are insect feeders and the pond is a great aquatic ecosystem with lots of surface skaters and little beetles swimming around day to day. The water comes from a nearby river and runs back there on loop, so it is fresh but also connected to the local natural water system. 

Wagtails are great garden visitors because they sing and dash from one place to another constantly so they keep any children amused who are watching out the window. They move very quickly and, unsurprisingly, given their name wag their tails up and down. In our garden, at least, they seem to hunt in pairs and normally one or two arrive together - they can then stay there all day if not disturbed.

The other type of wagtails which can be spotted in is the Grey Wagtail, which, rather confusingly, is distinguished from the pied wagtail by being yellow. This is because it is yellow and grey, but there is also a Yellow Wagtail, which does sometimes visit England it is is entirely yellow. Grey Wagtails are quite rare in Ireland and I myself have never seen one, but I know others in Armoy and the surrounding areas who have and who claim they were once quite common.  

Finally there is a lesser-spotted variant of the Pied Wagtail, known as the Spanish Wagtail or White Wagtail. I thought, back in August this year, that I had spotted one of those in the garden (as below) but on closer inspection I realised that it was probably a juvenile Pied Wagtail, as the Spanish Wagtail has no grey under the side of its wing. As you can see the juvenile is much more grey and mottled, or I suppose pied, looking than the adult.

(RSPB Illustration)