White Wagtail Today

White wagtail at Fall City, WA

Today during Kay’s all-girls birthday party at our condo I picked up Bruce and dashed up to try for the White wagtail again in Fall City.  Over the last few days birders have learned that the farmer is OK with birders on the road into his dairy, as long as we stay off his property.  From the end of 19th St just outside the driveway to his dairy birders have set up scopes and had good looks over his manure pile and the trees by the river where the WHWA has been foraging regularly.

Today when we arrived the bird had been seen about 90 minutes before we arrived, and within 15 minutes of arrival it was spotted as it flew into the trees on the riverbank from where it foraged in short to moderate length fly-catching forays and parched for excellent scope views and pretty good photo opportunities.  This was a WA first for me with my only prior sightings in Nome, and every day of our Kenya trip.

The bird was very active perching and moving about in the tree and sallying off for flying insects and on one occasion chasing an American robin over the pasture.   The weather held off for us, threatening rain but not raining while we were there, and about 25 birders got their wishes fulfilled.