A motacillid congregation
Short report
12th March, 2025 | Trip reports
A second of a series of “short stories”. If you want to know more what these are, check the first one!
Earlier this year, in mid February when the snow fell, I have come across a quite interesting “congregation” of three species of Motacillidae: three Grey Wagtails (Motacilla cinerea), two White Wagtails (M. alba) and two Meadow Pipits (Anthus pratensis) decided to spend the winter together in a small brook close to a village. Overwintering of White Wagtails and Meadow Pipits is quite rare around where I live, but the occurrence of three Grey Wagtails was also quite extraordinary. Why they decided to leave the (not so far away) river Oslava, their breeding and usual wintering habitat, in favour of a smallish brook in the middle of the fields is beyond me.
Fieldowork is fun.
The overwintering habitat of the three Motacillid species. A smallish brook at the edge of a village.
The only bird trapped, female Grey Wagtail.
And a closeup. You can check more pictures in the gallery: CZEP25-023.