Its not just for boy racers

In the evenings its usually idiots in their supped up Corsa’s that frequent the Swannery car park in Weymouth but this autumn theirs a new kid on the block. The Yellow Wagtail.

These little vandals have been needlessly adding colour to an already fine looking car park. In winter Pied Wagtails use the car park as a pre-roost and that’s fine as they are black, white and grey which blends in beautifully with the tarmac. Thankfully, Yellow Wags will be a distant memory soon as they will all be well on route at Africa where they will fit in much better.

Hopefully you realise I am joking and its actually quite amazing to see these birds using a car park in the middle of town to bath before roosting! Thought I’d say that just in case...

Way better than X factor!

Whilst a sizable chunk of the UK population would have been watching X factor last night, I was out catching yet more Yellow Wagtails with Steve down at the Swannery. The night turned out to an amazing one. Over 800 Yellow Wagtail roosted, though the number quite possibly could have gone into four figures! The catch was also quite spectacular with 107 birds caught. It’s the best Yellow Wagtail catch ever at the swannery and by far the biggest catch in Dorset for many years. Back in the 70’s, one autumn over 2500 were ringed at Radipole but that was in the days when thousands roost there every night. It really was quite a privilege to see so many birds that are now being considered pretty scare. They must have had an incredible breeding season.

Whilst I am blogging I need to correct a mistake from the last post. The recent Caspian Gull was actually the 6^th record if accepted. There is a suspicion that the bird may possibly a hybrid so that’s one for the Dorset rarities panel to chew over.