Today, it is back for a second day on and around the pond. The Wagtail will still come to the back door for live mealworms, still being harassed by the local Robin. After extensive research, Mel and I think that this Wagtail is a second-year bird. Last autumn from the photos we took at the time, it is quite clearly a juvenile bird.
But now, it has moulted and has more distinctive yellow feathers on its underparts. A male, it does not have the distinctive black bib until next spring and the breeding season. That's of course, if it makes it to Spring! Though it has gained more experience of the dangers in the natural world (it now freezes when an alarm call goes out by the Blackbirds or Sparrows) the Wagtail still has to contend with the daily danger from the local Sparrowhawk!
And this was readily apparent this morning. The Wagtail was on the pond wall when the Sparrowhawk grabbed a Starling from within the conifers. The photos and especially the movie below show the graphic detail of a Sparrowhawk kill. The original commentary by us (as it happened and the sound of the distressed Starling has been replaced by classical music so as not to offend or upset anyone. If you think the video would disturb you, don't watch it!
As I write this at 11:30am, the Sparrowhawk is still here in the back garden, on the arch (its favourite plucking post) still plucking and eating the Starling. We did hear the Grey Wagtail flyover some minutes ago but I shouldn't think it will return until the danger has gone. Apart from the Sparrowhawk, the garden is, as you would expect, deserted of wildlife.
Footnote:The Grey Wagtail, I should say, like other birds, vacated the area and didn't return for the rest of the day. Though on Sunday 28th, the Wagtail spent most of the day here!
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