Pied Wagtail Roost

[joannec]

Not really a birding day as such but a pleasant diversion for the boring task of shopping:;) You see I'm not a girlie girl and I don't really enjoy it. :-C Late on Thursday afternoon I found myself in the pedestrianised shopping area of Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Walking from the carpark I was struck by the large numbers of pied wagtails flying between the buildings, it was just beginning to get dark. A few unhappy trees are the planners idea of naturalising this shoppers paradise but they're never going to do well here but the pied wags have other ideas. There were hundreds and hundreds of them, maybe over 1000 all settling down to roost in one particular tree, with their cheerful 'tsit zip' chirruping sounds. Absolutely fantastic they were, flying between the shoppers, they looked stunning with the Christmas lights, their whiteness reflected in the light. Funnily, I seemed to be the only one taking any notice of them! But they made my day and certainly the shopping jaunt was enhanced. :t:

Joanne

[John Cantelo]

Large numbers - 500-600 though never as I recall as many as a 1,000 - often roost in the centre of Canterbury. Seville Station (Spain) hosts the biggest roost of White Wagtail I've ever seen - I'd hesitate to say how many but it must run into the thousands,

John

[joannec]

Large numbers - 500-600 though never as I recall as many as a 1,000 - often roost in the centre of Canterbury.

John


I find it hard to judge numbers John, especially in failing light and with them all flitting about and settling down to roost as they were. Quite a spectacle and anyone who is in Kent/Sussex and needing to do Christmas shopping, (especially those who are shopping challenged) I recommend going to Tunbridge Wells at dusk! :t: They've even got benches.;)

Joanne

[dantheman]

Funny you've just posted this today, yesterday evening I was trying to surreptitiously sit on a bench and count pied wags roosting in a lit up tree outside our friendly neighborhood asda before doing the shopping . . . I only made it 150 max. Still brilliant though!

Max I've seen was 1800+ roosting in the little car park trees at Gateway supermarket back in Wincanton, Somerset, but I also read recently of roosts of 5000+ at Stodmarsh/Grove Ferry (John may know) in September historically. . . .

[John Cantelo]

Yes, counted Pied Wagtail roosts can be very difficult as they swirl around, seemingly settle, fly up again, come in from all directions and so on. I must admit I wasn't aware of a count of 5,000 in September from Grove/Stodmarsh. It seems very high especially for September, but I should be able to find it on the KOS CD ... if I can be bothered to plough through all the annuam reports that is!

John

[SueO]

Now that's my idea of a Christmas Tree! Sounds like it was a perfect break from the tedium os shopping. I'm with you Joanne, I find shopping a chore unless it's grocery shopping in a new port. I love to check out the new foods I get to work with. I had a White Wagtail fly under our dodger while we were at anchor off Lanzarote. A dodger is a cover over the hatch; sort of like an awning in landlubber terms. He just flew in, hovered a bit and flew off. It made my morning. Wagtails seem to like Peregrine. We had a Yellow for three days dduring a passage once. They are such appealing birds.
Sue

[Pam_m]

They would have made my day also, Joanne! What a sight and sound to witness! :t:

I was in Birmingham city centre for most of the day yesterday for my sins, I did see loads of Feral pigeons..they where hoovering up the rubbish left by lazy people!

[joannec]

Now that's my idea of a Christmas Tree!
Sue

3:-) I like it Sue!

[Gill Osborne]

We have a tree right next to the bus station which is a magnet for our local Pied Wagtails and it IS fabulous to see and hear them all :t: I've never actually managed to count them but there must be a fair few dozen (it's only a small tree!) - makes you wonder where they are all hiding out during the day as you normally only see two/three at a time around the shops o:)

There's a tree in the centre of Penrith in Cumbria too which has literally hundreds of them on it at dusk. Neil and I were fascinated by them when we came upon them a couple of years ago. :t:

[thom_vee]

Hi folks,
I just saw a flock of pied wagtails today right in the heart of our unversity (UWE) in Bristol! What an amazing sight it was...there were so many that it was unbelievable! I had only my phone with me and I took a few pictures..they turned out too small to see anything significant, but you can check them on my site - http://www.birdsnapping.com/2008/11/hundreds-of-pied-wagtails.html

Does anyone know if they roost in the same location everyday? Would it be worth taking my camera along tomorrow?

[dantheman]

They usually do - if they think it's a safe place to roost no reason why not. Go for it. ;)

[joannec]

Hi Thom

Those are the sorts of numbers I saw, hundreds by the look of your pictures. They do tend to stick to a certain winter roost HOWEVER the roost doesn't remain the same year to year. There is a spot near me, a pub car park actually, where there were hundreds roosting every evening one winter but it was only for one year....then they moved on to somewhere else; never did find out where.

I've been discussing this with a friend of mine who says they do tend to move their roosts but with what frequency she didn't know. It shows just how adaptable they are it seems to me.

What struck me about the flock I saw in the centre Tunbridge Wells was that it seemed such an unlikely place with hundreds of people about at any time.....must try to get back there with my camera.

Joanne

[John Cantelo]

I find that they regularly roost in the same general area; they may shift a little according to the weather (esp. wind direction), but not too far. Town centres seem to be a popular option for Pied/White Wagtails partly because they're more used to humans than many birds, but also I suspect because town centres are significantly warmer than elsewhere. Lights, air conditioning, etc belt out the heat and the buildings radiate it back to the birds,

John

[thom_vee]

Thanks folks, I`ll let you know how it goes tomorrow. I'm guessing they wont roost in the same place if it rains. The forecast shows no rains. Keeping my fingers crossed.

[Mouldy]

Haven't checked it out this year yet but in the past Ikea carpark at the Metrocentre has a large pre-roost gathering of pied wags late afternoon. they fly in in ones and twos from all directions and just walk about among the cars and people hardly ever taking flight, preferring to run out of the way with that comical clockwork stride they have. Last time I was there I estimated about 120 milling about.
Once it's dark I've seen them roosting in the trees at the side of Asda across the road.
Makes shopping a pleasure.

[thom_vee]

The wagtails were back again today, but stupid me made a big blunder - I took my camera along but left the memory card behind! You can imagine my frustration when i tried to check my shots! Will have to wait till tomorrow I guess :(

[Allen S. Moore]

The wagtails were back again today, but stupid me made a big blunder - I took my camera along but left the memory card behind! You can imagine my frustration when i tried to check my shots! Will have to wait till tomorrow I guess :(

Third time lucky!

[pstraughan]

Hi Joanne

I usually try to avoid Royal Victoria Place at this time of year, but you've made it sound very tempting!

Pat

[joannec]

Hi Joanne

I usually try to avoid Royal Victoria Place at this time of year, but you've made it sound very tempting!

Pat

LOL....TBH, I avoid it most times of the year!! But from now on I will time my visits to coincide with dusk!

[thom_vee]

Hi there folks, I went back again last evening and this time I was much better prepared! I`ve put up the picures on my website. Please do check them here: http://www.birdsnapping.com/2008/11/flocking-pied-wagtail-photos.html

[Pam_m]

What a sight to see, Thom! Checked your pics...great! :t:

[peterbrash]

I remember a big roost in the car park at Exeter services back in the 1980's. Always used to see them sat there piled up on the trees planted between the rows of cars when on my way to Cornwall or Scilly. I've seen them in supoermarket car parks at various places too.

The tree roosts I've seen have always been in young deciduous trees about 15-20 foot high. I imagine they need thin branches to grip and when the trees grow too large they move on. Interesting that these are all close to human habitation, might it be the good feeding from assorted crumbs that are left by us?

I always remember pied wags descending on my school playground after lunchtime feeding on the spilt crisps and biscuits.

Anybody know of any big tree roosts away from human habitation? The big roosts in non-urban areas have always been in reedbeds in my experience.

[Jos Stratford]

Once half a year more in than out of Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny after braking my leg and arm, both in rather spectacular fashion. Remember a big roost of Pied Wagtails there in a central courtyard, the highlight of a trip between x-ray and the resetting room!

[Jos Stratford]

Anybody know of any big tree roosts away from human habitation? The big roosts in non-urban areas have always been in reedbeds in my experience.


White Wagatils, strictly summer visitors out here, have a traditional roost at one place here also known for roosting cranes - up to 5500 Cranes roost one side, and several thousand wagtails in reeds on the other.

[colonelboris]

Wasn't the biggest Pied Wagtail roost in Newton Abbot, Devon? I can't remember the numbers, but it was a hell of a lot. I remember seeing a good few hundred in Camberley outside the shopping centre and also spending several hours a day just looking at a flock of maybe 200 over Frimley Park Hospital when they kicked all the new dads out for mother's nap time.
We get maybe 150 White Wagtails roosting almost in the city centre in Bern in the Winter, but I've only seen them once this year. They get very excited about Pied Wagtails here. The Swiss records committee just accepted the 9th and 10th records for Switzerland.

[thom_vee]

Update:

27/11/08

I checked on them a bit later today. It was 17:00 . It was raining but they were still in the same location. It looks like once they choose the roost they really stay put. The trees offered a little shelter from the rain. One thing I noted about them were that none of them were huddled together inspite of the chiiling temperature (<6 degrees). There seemed to be atleast half a foot distance between each bird. I suppose that confirms the fact that all the early bickering could be over choosing a good location. When I left they were absolutely still.

[joannec]

Well I managed to get back to this roost today with the camera. At 4:30 there were only a few birds zipping about. By 5:00 they had all settled down to roost. I had a count up so far as is possible and I reckon there are at least 600, probably a lot more. A few poor pictures: in the first picture each white dot represents a pied wag. The second pictures shows the density. A few of the Christmas shoppers were actually taking notice tonight. A particularly nice moment was when a woman with her two young children stopped to look. I told her what they were and explained to the kids that they'd come in to roost for the night. The little boy asked if they were going to bed. Nice.

[Jos Stratford]

Cooo, looks like it is snowing :)

[Pam_m]

What a sight to see! Hope you had your brolly up, Joanne!

Good to hear that a few shoppers had time to take some notice of the Wagtails!

Great pics, thanks!:t:

[joannec]

What a sight to see! Hope you had your brolly up, Joanne!

:

3:-) LOL. There was a temptation to walk under the tree and look up but decided to give the space directly under the tree a wide berth.

[Pam_m]

3:-) LOL. There was a temptation to walk under the tree and look up but decided to give the space directly under the tree a wide berth.

A wise decision, Joanne! :t::-O

[dantheman]

Isn't it meant to be very good luck to be 'pooped' on by a bird??

[DKR]

I go to TW fairly often but always in the morning, I will have to pay a visit at dusk now.

joannec, is the roost in the same street as Starbucks and Waterstones?

[Nick Tanner]

There is a small Pied Wagtail roost in Wimbledon, in some small London planes outside Tesco Metro, havn't visited it this year but last December it held c150birds at it's peak; I also remember a drunken weekend in Dublin B (: in the late 70s,there were hundreds roosting in small trees along the Liffey by O'Connell bridge, is this roost still active?

Nick

[joannec]

joannec, is the roost in the same street as Starbucks and Waterstones?

Yeah, it's the last tree before Monson Road and Camden Road. It's definitely worth delaying the shopping trip until late afternoon.

[dantheman]

An article on the net about Pied Wagtail roosting;

http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/bird-guide/pied-wagtail.asp


I must admit I wasn't aware of a count of 5,000 in September from Grove/Stodmarsh. It seems very high especially for September, but I should be able to find it on the KOS CD ... if I can be bothered to plough through all the annuam reports that is!

John

This is where I read about it - not the primary source, but it was on the internet, so it must be true!! Note it was my interpretation/bad memory that actually placed the birds at a more specific location . . . chinese wagtail whispers anyone?? Oops ;)

[palval147]

Wasn't the biggest Pied Wagtail roost in Newton Abbot, Devon? I can't remember the numbers, but it was a hell of a lot. I remember seeing a good few hundred in Camberley outside the shopping centre and also spending several hours a day just looking at a flock of maybe 200 over Frimley Park Hospital when they kicked all the new dads out for mother's nap time.
We get maybe 150 White Wagtails roosting almost in the city centre in Bern in the Winter, but I've only seen them once this year. They get very excited about Pied Wagtails here. The Swiss records committee just accepted the 9th and 10th records for Switzerland.

I have been reading through this thread to see if anyone had mentioned Newton Abbot, Devon.
Yes, Colonelboris, they did say that & Bill Oddie went there. I have also been there, it was an amazing sight.
I don't know if they are still there, anyone?

[Alan227]

Yeah, it's the last tree before Monson Road and Camden Road. It's definitely worth delaying the shopping trip until late afternoon.

I've noticed the ground just there is er...lighter coloured than elsewhere Joanne, but kind of assumed it was from feral pigeons. Looks like it's quite a spectacle from your pics, so must check that out! They're going to have a Wassup? moment on Christmas night I reckon :>)

Al

[James Thomas]

Up to 5 years ago I worked on chemical plants. We had a Pied Wagtail Roost on the last one I worked on and it numbered probably 200 birds. The exact location varied along the pipe bridges but quite often was along a gantry that I needed to access during the night as part of my job. So I'd often find myself tiptoeing through a wagtail roost in the middle of a winters night and could quite easily have picked one up. Chaos obviously ensued if they ever woke but fortunately for themthe whole area was floodlit so they just moved a few metres along the pipetrack. Once cornered a ringed wagtail in an office, turned out to be only the third record of a French Pied Wagtail to turn up in the UK.

[joannec]

That must be one of the most unnatural roosts ever Jim......kind of amazing at how adaptable to human environments they are!

joanne

[Alex_sk]

Funny you've just posted this today, yesterday evening I was trying to surreptitiously sit on a bench and count pied wags roosting in a lit up tree outside our friendly neighborhood asda before doing the shopping . . . I only made it 150 max. Still brilliant though!

Max I've seen was 1800+ roosting in the little car park trees at Gateway supermarket back in Wincanton, Somerset, but I also read recently of roosts of 5000+ at Stodmarsh/Grove Ferry (John may know) in September historically. . . .


I saw the pied wagtail roost in Swanley outside Asda earlier today. It seems to have shrunk as there were only around 50 birds this evening.

Alex