The Yellow wagtail complex should appeal then? A glance at any decent reference book will provide an array of heads just waiting to amaze and confuse you? Latin names become the order of the day to split them (cos the're all Yellow Wagtails!)
Our British population of Yellow Wagtails (Motacilla flava flavissima) are pretty well defined and here's a nice male bird.....
The barley field off the A41 between Whitchurch was to be my first encounter with Motacilla flava flava
Here's the first bird Yvonne and myself were greeted with (a female).....
Even better was to come, a cracking male Blue-headed Wagtail.
No Channel powder blue hybrid here - just look at that head.......
Checking out the features, this is a classic Blue-headed wagtail. The forehead, crown nape and ear coverts were all ash grey - lit up in late evening sunshine, this bird looked a treat!
White chin and yellow throat....
Whilst the obvious 'Blue Head' was an easy bird to identify, the Wagtail population of this field has quite a bit to offer the Motacillaphile?
There was another (or the same bird) here again today.......
