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Pied Wagtail Roost (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter joannec
- Start date
peterbrash
Well-known member
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.
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.
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!
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
Right way up again
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.
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
Thom
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.
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-known member
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.
Attachments
Cooo, looks like it is snowing 
joannec
Well-known member
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
Well-known member
3
A wise decision, Joanne! :t::-O
Nick Tanner
Rabilargo
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
in the late 70s,there were hundreds roosting in small trees along the Liffey by O'Connell bridge, is this roost still active?Nick
dantheman
Bah humbug
An article on the net about Pied Wagtail roosting;
http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/bird-guide/pied-wagtail.asp
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
http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/bird-guide/pied-wagtail.asp
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
Well-known member
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?
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
Well-known member
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.
