February 2012 - Last visit by the Grey Wagtail

Saturday 25th: With the snow now gone, Spring is breaking-out and temperatures have risen. Today the Grey Wagtail was in the garden for much of the time, just as she was yesterday and most every day before that going back to the beginning of this month. Melanie had recently gained the confidence of the Wagtail and actually had her coming into the kitchen for live mealworms, as the photo below shows! But though we didn't know it at the time (I'm writing this in April), Saturday 25th was to be the last we we saw the Grey Wagtail.

Having been here, feeding on live mealworms and learning from other birds in the garden, danger calls and jostling with Blackbirds and House Sparrows for mealworms for much of the winter; late November, most of December and just about all of February, she has (it seems) migrated away to an area where she will mate and raise a brood of chicks. It's too much to hope that she comes back next winter, but the Wren has kept coming back each winter and the going off in the Spring for three seasons now. But here's hoping...we wish you well Young Grey Wagtail!