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Image-of-the-Day by Subject
Birds - Wagtails Page 3
Image Taken on 27 Oct 2017
at 12:55 Image of day on 05 Dec 2017
The White Wagtail was dodging backward and forwards over the ridge you see above, with
us following it like sheep!
Pied Wagtails have Black backs
White Wagtails have Grey Backs (as here)
Grey Wagtails have Yellow Chests
Is it any wonder people get confused!
 on slate roof (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20171205_df3_20171027_1255_051 white wagtail (1st of season) on slate roof (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 28 Oct 2014
at 12:41 Image of day on 27 Dec 2014
One of a pair of White Wagtails caught an insect taking off
from the roof ridge. The top image shows the White Wagtail launching
towards the fly just above the surface of the ridge cap.
The second image (about 140mS later) the insect was fleeing but
the bird has caught it anyway already within the open beak.
It is clearer in the shadow than in the direct image!
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20141227_df2_20141028_1241_044-045 white wagtail catching fly from roof ridge 1+2 of 3 (accurate montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 28 Oct 2014
at 12:41 Image of day on 27 Dec 2014
This was our first attempt at the above montage. The initial
position of the insect was muddled in with the shadow of the foot
of the flying bird, so we didn't include it. The third image was
obviously delayed but it sort of finishes the sequence.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20141227_df2_20141028_1241_044-046 white wagtail catching fly from roof ridge 1-3 of 3 (impression montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 10 Nov 2013
at 12:43 Image of day on 03 Jan 2014
Here the White Wagtail flew between the roof ridges.
We love the turn at the end to land facing the sun-warmed slates.
Yesterday we showed the left 6 in greater detail
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20140103_df1_20131110_1243_236-246 white wagtail flying between roof ridges 01-11 of 12 (montage @ 7fps)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 10 Nov 2013
at 12:43 Image of day on 02 Jan 2014
The last 6 frames of a White Wagtail flying between roof ridges.
We have spread out the bird landing. The rightmost bird had the
wing missing from the original frame. Tomorrow we show the whole sequence.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20140102_df1_20131110_1243_241-246 white wagtail flying between roof ridges 06-11 of 12 (montage @ 7fps)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 09 Nov 2014
at 12:25 Image of day on 05 Jan 2015
Another ridge to ridge flight.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20150105_df2_20141109_1225_317-320 white wagtail flying between roof ridges 1-4 of 4 (accurate montage @7fps)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 19 Nov 2013
at 10:34 Image of day on 08 Jan 2014
This White wagtail spent 15 minutes or so catching fly like
insects emerging from under the slates. At 7 frames per second
all the images are accurately montaged, but the left-most one is
about 1 second after the one before - the bird made a gently
touchdown that didn't work out well as a montage.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20140108_df1_20131119_1034_104-106+112 white wagtail flying over slates with insect in beak 1-3+9 of 9 (accurate montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 22 Oct 2014
at 09:36 Image of day on 23 Dec 2014
We have reached the time of year when sun-warmed roof slates
bring along the Wagtails - in this case a pair of White Wagtails.
All the Wagtail varieties hunt by waiting on the ridge and flying
down to grab whatever appears. Here one flew past the other who
was calling, and then launched itself after the passing bird. No
fight ensued - they just landed separately on the roof ridge out
of frame to left.
We had some trouble representing this as a montage. This first try
is most attractive.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20141223_df2_20141022_0936_072-074 white wagtail flying past another on roof ridge 1-3 of 3 (right to left montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 22 Oct 2014
at 09:36 Image of day on 23 Dec 2014
This vertically aligned montage from the same images says more
about how the birds were actually moving, but has lost a lot of
its elegance. A third try with white horizontal bars seems
likely to be better, but didn't work at all (not included).
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20141223_df2_20141022_0936_072-074 white wagtail flying past another on roof ridge 1-3 of 3 (vertically aligned montage 1)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 20 Jan 2014
at 11:23 Image of day on 09 Mar 2014
We have several shots in a sequence of the White Wagtail trying
(and failing) to catch this fly. This image is against an
originally mirror-finish boiler chimney now weathered enough to
also show shadows. So we have here the bird just missing the fly,
the shadow of both on the slightly matt 'stainless' steel, and
bisecting the bottom shadow a partial reflection of part of the
bird where shadowed by the bird.
The camera was pointed up about 45 degrees for this strange mix to occur.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20140309_a77_20140120_1123_070 white wagtail in flight chasing insect with shadow and reflection @ 4 fps 1 of 7 (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 07 Nov 2019
at 13:53 Image of day on 18 Dec 2019
Wagtails also hunt over the roof to catch insects emerging from under the
sun warmed slates. We couldn't find the insect in any of the 3 original frames.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20191218_df3_20191107_1353_092-094 white wagtail in flight hunting insect on slate roof 1-3 of 3 (approx montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 10 Nov 2013
at 12:31 Image of day on 31 Dec 2013
This White Wagtail (along with a less obliging Pied) spent some
time on the warm roof hunting insects that come out from under
the slates. This montage of (right to left) is very close to
accurate for the first 3 frames (the middle bird is raised
slightly over reality) while the 4th is moved left so you can see
it swallowing the catch. All in half a second!
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20131231_df1_20131110_1231_094-097 white wagtail landing on roof-ridge with insect in beak 1-4 of 4 (adjusted montage @ 7fps)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 09 Nov 2014
at 12:07 Image of day on 05 Jan 2015
The patter of little claws announced the arrival of the Wagtails
- a pair of White Wagtails (with grey rather than black backs).
This one was flying between the roof ridges with a running
takeoff. There were several flies around the bird but there was
no obvious attempt to catch one.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20150105_df2_20141109_1207_263-267 white wagtail making running takeoff from roof ridge 1-5 of 5 (slightly stretched montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 14 Oct 2013
at 13:24 Image of day on 12 Dec 2013
Our first sighting of any Wagtails since May 2013 included 2
(of the 3 species we see here) within 3 minutes. This is
a 'White Wagtail" - with an - err - Grey back!
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20131212_p02_20131014_1324_909 white wagtail on roof slates (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 20 Jan 2014
at 11:23 Image of day on 09 Mar 2014
Enjoy the lichens adding colour to this attractive grey ('white') bird.
.jpg)
Ref: 20140309_a77_20140120_1123_049 white wagtail peering over edge of roof(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 31 Oct 2014
at 12:22 Image of day on 30 Dec 2014
In the conservatory we hear the scrabbling feet of Wagtails
exploring the roof. By leaving through the front door and
walking round the house we can sometimes get to see & photograph
them from the outside. This White Wagtail has shortened the usual
'wait for a fly to emerge and dive on it' strategy - it just
picked this torpid fly out of the crevice!
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20141230_df2_20141031_1222_036-038 white wagtail picking fly out of crevice in conservatory roof 1-3 of 4 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 29 Dec 2016
at 09:50 Image of day on 05 Feb 2017
A pair of Wagtails frequent the concrete roads around our patch - what seems to
be one Pied and one White Wagtail. They are said to interbreed. Wagtails make
speedy progress walking over roads, paths, grass, and our sloping slate roof,
in search of something to eat.
.jpg)
Ref: 20170205_df3_20161229_0950_046 white wagtail striding across concrete track(r+mb id@432).jpg
Image Taken on 24 Oct 2010
at 12:44 Image of day on 28 Dec 2010
On the Roof
A single frame from short sequence that works better on its own
than with the others. The insect was flying left to right and the
bird missed it, letting the insect do a high speed exit upwards.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20101228_df1_20101024_1244_058 white wagtail trying and failing to catch insect in flight 2 of 4 (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 07 Nov 2019
at 13:52 Image of day on 18 Dec 2019
On some years Wagtails hunt over our slate roof looking for insects.
This White Wagtail in the sunlight takes up a new vantage point -
they often hunt by diving down from the edge to catch insects close to the sun-warned wall.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20191218_df3_20191107_1352_075+076+079 white wagtail walking down slate roof to perch on gutter (impression montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
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