Roosting Pied Wagtails

camo · #1 (**permalink**) 19-02-2009, 10:13 PM

I saw an amazing thing today, opposite the entrance to terminal 3 at Manchester airport are a couple of bushes right next to a multi story car park. As I walked past I heard birds chirping and turned to see I would guess about roosting 200 Pied Wagtails. I walked around the bush and looked at them from different angles and am sure both as to species and number but have never heard of wagtails mass roosting. I suspect they are regular roosters and if anyone lives local it may be worth a look.

Roy

sunnydale · #2 (**permalink**) 19-02-2009, 10:16 PM

I've seen plenty of PW's....but never that many and never roosting!

Must have been quite an unusual sight!

camo · #3 (**permalink**) 19-02-2009, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunnydale

I've seen plenty of PW's....but never that many and never roosting!

Must have been quite an unusual sight!

I must have looked really strange as it was opposite a taxi rank and I was going around and around the bushes, they looked strange unde rthe lighting and initially thought they was Long tailed Tits.

Roy

G HUNT 2 · #4 (**permalink**) 19-02-2009, 10:51 PM

Pied Wagtails seem to favour towns and other built up areas ,as the air temp. is usually a degree or two warmer. In the last very cold snap we had I saw a Meadow Pipit with P.W.s in a town centre feeding in the high street! a first for me. Nice sighting Roy.

Oy · #5 (**permalink**) 19-02-2009, 10:53 PM

Good find!

I can just imagine the security guys wathing the CCTV.

"Hey Fred... there's a bloke 'ere mooching about in the bushes."

badgerwatcher · #6 (**permalink**) 19-02-2009, 11:40 PM

I nearly got thrown out of the hospital years ago when I was in for a hysterectomy. I looked out of the loo window and saw a huge number of birds roosting in one of those square enclosed garden areas hospitals go in for. They were all in a ficus shrub. I stood on the loo seat to try and identify them, went out and got all the other women to come and do the same. We all got told off as we all had recent scars, especially me as the ringleader.

The birds were pied wagtails.

Madelinew · #7 (**permalink**) 20-02-2009, 06:15 AM

I read that as "Roasting Pied Wagtails". Not quite awake yet!

What a find though. I've never seen more than 2 together at a time and never roosting - definitely never roasting!

Ruth Daniel · #8 (**permalink**) 20-02-2009, 07:51 AM

They are amazing when you see that many together aren't they?

We saw 50+ on the carpark of the M6 services a few months ago.....I'd never seen so many.....great entertainment tho as they scurried from pic-nic to pic-nic picking up all the crumbs!!

lol,great story Badgerwatcher!

leyland · #9 (**permalink**) 20-02-2009, 08:19 AM

Down in Worthing town centre there is a roost of Pied Wagtails that have been there all winter. They seem to favour a fairly small tree, but are to be seen on the surrounding rooftops before alighting at the roost. Quite a funny sight to see them surrounded by buses and the hustle of shoppers and were still there on Wednesday when i counted 63 before my bus arrived.

Blackdogjnr · #10 (**permalink**) 20-02-2009, 10:36 AM

Theres a favourite roosting tree in Nottingham Old Market Square in the city centre, it's great to see them all getting up there at tea time in huge number