Anything about guv?

Well what a start to the New Year! It just goes to show that you never know what will turn up in your average suburban garden.

This is a Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea) that I digiscoped in my back garden on the 1st January. It stayed and fattened itself up until the 6th, before moving on, hopefully to its normal habitat.

It is more usually associated with fast flowing streams or shallows in rivers and lakes. Although resident here in the winter, numbers are swelled by migrants from Northern Europe. I think this bird possibly just arrived and was tired and very hungry.

It seemed to be drinking a lot and fed on suet and grated cheese. My policy of putting out food for the ground feeding birds as well as the normal hanging feeders has certainly paid off. Plant pot saucers filled with water are also very important for the birds' welfare.

Even though the Grey is the largest of our three British Wagtails, this particular bird was constantly bullied by our resident winter Pied Wagtail. However, it didn't deter her/him as it kept returning for the tasty morsels on offer.