Eastern Yellow Wagtail, nr. Sedgeford, West Norfolk
A question. ‘Is there really an exceptional influx of Eastern Yellow Wagtails going on this year or have they been overlooked in the past?’. Well, one looking like this first winter male might not have been but several birders have mentioned grey and white yellow wagtails in late autumn that are now suspected to have been ‘Eastern’. I spent five hours watching and listening to it today in mostly grim low light levels but a few times the weak, low angle winter sun shone through the layers of cloud to bring the yellow feathers on this bird to life. The rest of the time it often looked rather monotone against the light. It seems to have set up residence around a small area of dung heaps and an old storage tank about 400m down a track east of the Sedgeford to Ringstead road but occasionally gets on the flint-filled field on the opposite side of the track, where most of these photos were taken, poking the 500 through the hedge. The air was filled just after dawn with the calls of Pink-footed Geese, mostly heading southwest towards Shernborne and several raptors drifted over - a sparrowhawk, kestrel, two Red Kites (hardly anyone even raised their binos for the first one), a Marsh Harrier and a couple of Common Buzzards. It was also lovely to hear the calls of Yellowhammers, Linnets and Skylarks overhead too! The Eastern Yellow Wagtail flew in around 0800 from the north and apart from one visit to the large dung heap by the main road, it remained in the vicinity of the smaller dung heaps down the track until I left after 1300. My only UK lifer this year! Thanks to Nick Watmough for help with directions.