Kind of Blue

Very good weekend, just gone. More soon but here's pictures of the stand out bird - a male Blue-headed Wagtail. After the bumper last couple of springs for Yellow Wagtails the pasture in Little Kelk strikes again with one of the continental Blue-headed cousins. These replace the UK Yellow subspecies in France and north to southern Scandinavia.

In Yorkshire these 'flava' wagtails are passage migrants along the coast in small numbers especially in spring (harder to identify in autumn plumage!). Inland they're less common though well watched reserves like Tophill Low chalk up odd ones each year, indeed they have already had a couple this spring. Either way, I'm made up with this record - scarce AND totally gorgeous!

Identification: as Yellow Wagtail but slaty-blue head without any yellow except on the throat. Cheeks are slightly darker. Strong eye-stripe is distinctive. More discussion of identification here.

Pasture seems to be a favourite for wagtails on passage - breeding birds locally prefer corn fields.

The cows/sheep appear to attract insects for food and the natural pool was abuzz with flies.

Other birds this weekend included Marsh Harrier, Hobby, lots of Swifts, a Garden Warbler and a couple of Reed Warblers all new for the year list.