Grey Wagtail

Above: Grey Wagtail.
Below: Yellow Wagtail.

Grey wagtails are resident in the UK and can be found at any time of year in the North West. They prefer to be close to fresh water and especially fast flowing, shallow fresh water. They feed on insects and small aquatic invertebrates.

They are handsome birds, with the characteristic tail wagging as they walk that gives them their name. They have a grey back and head, black wings, beak and tail, pinkish legs and a bright yellow breast, belly and vent in the case of the male. The female also has a bright yellow vent and a flush of yellow on the upper breast, whilst the rest of her breast and belly is white. There is a noticeable white stripe above the eye and a slightly less noticeable white stripe below the eye. Females and winter males have a white chin but breeding, summer males have a black chin edged with white.

Because the yellow on these birds can be so intense, some inexperienced bird-watchers have thought them to be yellow wagtails but the yellow wagtail (shown below left for comparison) is much more worthy of the name. Whilst grey wagtail, as a name, may not convey the beauty of these birds it is more deserving as there is an extensive amount of grey as well as the yellow.

As stated they prefer fast running streams so these are obviously the best places to look to find them. Lymm in Cheshire is one such place and they can be found in various places along the stream that flows through the area known as The Bongs, Lymm Upper and lower Dams as well as Slitting Gorge. Some sections of this area have good access. Outside of Lymm, there are also any of the fast flowing streams in Yorkshire, Cumbria, East Lancashire, Derbyshire and North Wales that are worth checking out. My favourite being Loggerheads Country Park in Clwyd as there is easy access to a long stretch of this stream which is perfect for grey wagtails and almost always a place you will be able to find them.

As far as photography goes, these birds are not too difficult to photograph. Slow approach and no sudden movements are the keys. There are seldom hides overlooking their preferred habitat, so stealth is often your only option. I've found that sudden appearance or movement will always send them flying off with their characteristic jerky flight. However, slow approach and no sudden movements, almost like slow motion, has often got me fairly close without any sign of the bird being anxious. Try it out and see how you go. These birds are a pleasure to watch and to photograph.