Corvus Corax
Saturday 20th August 2005, 18:18
Popped into my all time favourite site yesterday afternoon (Llangorse Lake, nr Brecon) to see what was still hanging around - large mixed Hirundine flocks building circa 150 - 250 birds packed side by side on telephone wires and covering the roofs of the farm buildings.
Along the waterline were a small group of 4 Yellow Wagtails (Motacilla Flava) scouring the mud for flies - as the Swallows and Martins began to move in to join the feast the Wagtails became intensely aggresive, flying at and chasing away the Hirundines - they also demonstrated the same behaviour when 2 Pied Wagtails (Motacilla Alba Yarellii) flew in chasing them away in short order.
I have never before seen such aggression in this species and would really like to know if anyone else has witnessed this in Wagtails?
Along the waterline were a small group of 4 Yellow Wagtails (Motacilla Flava) scouring the mud for flies - as the Swallows and Martins began to move in to join the feast the Wagtails became intensely aggresive, flying at and chasing away the Hirundines - they also demonstrated the same behaviour when 2 Pied Wagtails (Motacilla Alba Yarellii) flew in chasing them away in short order.
I have never before seen such aggression in this species and would really like to know if anyone else has witnessed this in Wagtails?