Wagtails by river - yellow or grey?

Wed 24 Apr 2019, 15:11

Grey Wagtails have nested in or around the Mill Race for many years,not sure where the Egret has appeared from ,looks really out of place.As you say Rod we are  very fortunate to have the wild life we do around Town. JH

Tue 23 Apr 2019, 21:04

I have often seen egrets from the Dyers Hill bridge. And a heron.

Tue 23 Apr 2019, 12:17

Saw a couple of Green Woodpeckers down by the river the other day

Mon 22 Apr 2019, 23:33

Haven't caught them close enough in the binoculars to tell yet but have often seen them around and below the sluice gate (we could get all Coldplay!). More mundanely perhaps there are Moorhens 'getting together' just below the confluence of river and mill stream, also some rampant Mallards - and a wonderful Little Egret that lives a bit further downstream, spotted today on top of the old tree by the cricket field car park. Not to mention a pair of buzzards. The local birdlife seems to be improving, only wish I could say the same of the river....

Mon 22 Apr 2019, 19:13

I too saw this startling bird by the sluice gates on the river this afternoon and, having looked it up am not fully convinced that it was a grey wagtail. Its colouring was much less subtle, the yellow feathers covering from under its tail right up to its throat with no hint of lighter shades as seen on grey wagtails. The environment and the timing of its appearance would also seem to fit in with the yellow wagtail. I found this link helpful.

https://www.bto.org/about-birds/bird-id/identifying-yellow-coloured-wagtails

Maybe we were lucky! 

Mon 22 Apr 2019, 10:43

hi Miles they are Grey Wagtails which have a lot of yellow feathering

Sun 21 Apr 2019, 15:00

does anyone know which they are? Presuming grey but can’t see them other than flying, so can’t see colour under the chin.