A curious sight (1 Viewer)

gerald762

Well-known member

• Feb 14, 2020

• #1

I was walking along the sea front in Barbate, Andulucia, on Wednesday evening around dusk. I suddenly realised that the beach had over 200 wagtails on it!! An amazing sight, but I have no explanation for it. Any ideas? I don't know if this is happening on other evenings as well.

 

dantheman

Bah humbug

• Feb 14, 2020

• #2

Pre-roost gathering - they will be off and roosting nearby somewhere, usually particular trees or even boats in a marina.

There are a couple threads on here - actual roosts can number the hundreds or thousands.


See -

https://www.birdforum.net/search.php?searchid=22380553

 

T

trw

Well-known member

• Feb 17, 2020

• #3

Only ever saw it once; approaching a tree in Morocco it looked like some sort of fruit tree, perhaps full of lemons. All of a sudden, the 'fruit' flew off! In fact there were around 25 Yellow Wagatails which had been gathered on the tree before taking flight.

 

Mike Crawley

Emeritus President at Burnage Rugby Club

• Feb 18, 2020

• #4

gerald762 said:

I was walking along the sea front in Barbate, Andulucia, on Wednesday evening around dusk. I suddenly realised that the beach had over 200 wagtails on it!! An amazing sight, but I have no explanation for it. Any ideas? I don't know if this is happening on other evenings as well.

Click to expand...

Any chance it was a late feeding strategy ?
Sandfly/sandhopper activity ?

 

Andy Adcock

Worst person on Birdforum

• Feb 18, 2020

• #5

We have a well known roost of Pied Wags in Nottingham, right in front of the Theatre Royal or were. It's weird to walk past them at night when they're all twittering away to each other in the dark.

 

JWN Andrewes

Poor Judge of Pasta.

• Feb 18, 2020

• #6

I once, years ago, pulled into what appeared to be a disused service station somewhere, completely abandoned and dark, the tarmac was just carpeted in Pied Wagtails, all lifting out of the way as my headlights swung across them, and then alighting again a few yards off. I was stopping for a snooze myself, and by the time I woke up they were gone. It was a most surreal experience.