[Andrew03]

Hi
This is my first ever message, so first of all hello, and I’ve enjoyed browsing this site over the past few weeks.

Whilst on holiday last year I took pictures of wagtails at Davidstow airfield in Cornwall. Trouble is, I’m not sure if they’re pied or white - I’ve never knowingly seen white before.

I've attached a picture with 4 wagtails - hopefully it will work! - and i'd appreciate any comments as to whether any are white - ie of the non-pied type!

Thanks for any help

Andrew

[Harry Hussey]

Hi Andrew,
I would think that at least the bottom two(and probably all of them)look okay for White Wagtail.The clean flanks,well-marked wingbars etc.,not to mention the pale grey mantles(which seem to be real,not a result of the photographic reproduction) all point towards this form.What colour were their rumps?(grey on White,black or blackish in Pied)
Harry

[steve_nova]

Hi Andrew

Welcome, and nice pics too!

[Andrew]

Hi Andrew from the original Andrew.

I also went to Davidstow last year. Did you see the House Martins with white spots on the tips of each tail feather too? This baffled me very much. As for the wagtails, I wouldn't know without looking them up so I won't confuse you.

Welcome to this great site.

[Andrew03]

Thanks very much for the replies.

Harry - as far as I remeber, and looking at other pictures, the rumps were grey. I thought they were white wagtails, but there were several about and I don't remeber any pied - which seemed surprising.
Steve - gald you liked the pictures.
Andrew - I didn't see the House martins, but enjoyed myself driving (slowly!) round the runways at Davidstow - I've never been so close to Dunlin, ringed plovers and whte wagtails.

[Andrew]

There really isn't any choice other than driving slowly cos of all the cracks and potholes!! LOL

[bcurrie]

Welcome Andrew03! I am no expert on Wagtails, but they do seem to be White ones (no pun intended). I particularly like the composition of the upper right hand one.

[Ashley beolens]

Wagtails are by no means my speciality but I would say they were mainly pied wagtails, I seem to remember the black collar shoudn't extend as far round the neck on a White! Of the three pictured I would only say the top right was White the others just look like winter pieds to me.

[cjay]

Even after 20 odd years fo birding i have yet to confidently identify the White Wagtail.

I just count them all as pied.

Saves a lot of bother.

ColinJ.

[Harry Hussey]

Hi Andrew,
"Harry - as far as I remeber, and looking at other pictures, the rumps were grey. I thought they were white wagtails, but there were several about and I don't remeber any pied - which seemed surprising."
Grey rumps sound good for White.When did you see them?Whites are purely a passage migrant in much of the UK and Ireland(they sometimes(?)breed in N.Scotland),most numerous in autumn.I often notice that they tend to associate together(i.e.not necessarily with any Pieds),and often favour coastal areas(at least in Ireland):have often seen them feeding on washed-up seaweed with Starlings and various waders(including my first Buff-breasted Sandpiper in Sep.2000!)
Harry

[Andrew03]

Hi
Thanks for all the replies. I saw the wagtails Sept 21st last year. A day or two earlier I saw two others at Newlyn harbour on some buildings- I thought they might be juveniles, but looking them up concluded they were much more similar to whites. Then on the 21st I saw several more at Davidstow, and again they seemed more like whites than pied - i've never seen wagtails look so grey. The timing could well coincide with autumn passage? My only concern over the grey rumps is that on the picture i have of their backs (one attached), the wings appear folded over the rump, so not much is visible, but the backs are completely grey.
Andrew

[WelchS]

Hi, this is also my first post to the forum - thought I'd tack it on the end of this other wagtail ID one if you don't mind...

Please find two pics attached (unfortunately quality not as good as initial post in thread - bird somewhat distant on private land), of a first summer wagtail observed near my home in Watford, UK, this last week.

Flanks grey (but obscured in some postures) but grey of back extending just beyond the notch of dark down onto flanks at rear - i.e. pretty far onto rump. Just a Pied?

Any comments appreciated.

Stephen Welch