Coming Soon....

....and a Grey Wagtail. 

No time for blogging again today unfortunately but three stunning pictures to look at highlighting the photography of  David Cookson whose website I strongly recommend you take a look at.

With a 'coming soon to an area near you' Sedge Warbler photograph. If I've checked my calendar correct Monday is the first day of spring and these birds will be winging their way back from their wintering grounds in tropical and south Africa to breed in our reed-beds and marshes. The average first date of arrival in the UK is in mid-April. The status of the Sedge Warbler currently stands in the GREEN list.

Another 'coming soon' bird is the Pied Flycatcher, a bird I have a special liking for and know of at least two locations where they have bred/breed in natural nest holes though they are a species benefiting from the help of nest box schemes which are set up in many areas of mature woodland. This is another species winging its way back to the UK from tropical Africa to arrive here on average in mid-April, it's status currently standing in the  AMBER list.

                                     

Finally the Grey Wagtail (GW), a bird of fast moving streams and rivers. The GW is much more colourful thats its name suggests, with slate grey upper-parts and distinctive lemon yellow under-tail. The species has increased its range in the past 150 years and in the UK has expanded into English lowlands from the northern and western uplands, in the winter months the GW can sometimes be found in urban areas as one often outside our house has proved. The GW is particularly affected by harsh winters, its status is currently in the AMBER list.