11/05/2023 Potters Crouch, Hertfordshire

Channel Wagtail: This week I've been working down near Hemel Hampstead carrying out a series of bird surveys when I stumbled across this little stunner. no on one of my sites but while out birding locally.

As I was working my way through a public right of way checking the field boundaries I noticed a familiar call of a yellow wagtail enervating from a field with some space rapeseed to find it was a blue handed variety of yellow wag.

Blue-headed and yellow wagtails are known to ‘hybridise’ in northern France, and the resulting intergrades are known as ‘Channel’ wagtails. These show much paler heads than blue-headed – silvery-grey, powder-blue or even approaching white. They turn up quite regularly with our yellow wagtails in the spring.

Yellow Wagtail: In the opposite filed there were several of the more standard yellow wags, they appeared to be paired up with a male sticking close to a female and change each other around while calling. 

07/05/2022 Cadishead and Little Woolden Moss, Salford

Yellow Wagtail: I've recently discovered this gem of a reserve and have tried to put in some time birding here. 

On a day like today with lots of bright sunshine and fluffy clouds, the black peat peppered with white cotton grass makes the whole place look even more spectacular.

Grasshopper Warbler: The first thing you notice about Little Woolden Moss is the sheer enormity of the place. 

In the distance, you can see Winter Hill and Rivington but the vista is flat in between so the 114 hectares is all that your eye can take in. Then, there is the sky.

The mosses between Salford, Liverpool, Wigan and Warrington, are known locally as Big Sky Country. 

Willow Warbler: Lancashire Wildlife trust, local groups and the Lancashire Peatlands Initiative intends have done a fantastic job bringing this place back to life by covering ditches, planting vegetation, and creating bog pools.

In recent days ring ouzel, whinchat, hobby and marsh harrier have all been observed. Today I had a gropper which gave me the runaround, never fully showed itself and five yellow wags in the fields to the west of the site.  

14/04/2017 Houghton Green Pool

Yellow Wagtail: There has been some new arrivals at the pool, including this gorgeous Yellow Wag a dozen or so Sand Martians and a few Swallow.

I was hoping to record the first Yellow Wag of the year however that accolade goes to Martyn Jones who picked it up on the 9th, with some cracking images to boot!

09/09/2016 Houghton Green Pool

Yellow Wagtail: After a very early 3.30am start for a bat survey and then battling the M6 during rush hour, I decided to spend the rest of my early morning at Houghton Green.








Almost as soon as I entered the arable field of which contains a large oat crop I could hear  the distinct call of Yellow Wags coming from within the crop.

I was really hoping I might get lucky on this site, espceislaly as there has been several Curlew Sandpiper and Wood Sands in the nearby-ish Manchester Mosses.

But alas, no sign of anything scarce, just the usual Greenshank and this time 4 Green Sandpiper and no sign of the Ruff which as been on the pool for a few weeks.

Other highlights included 7 Grey Partridge and 2 Teal.

However I did get a chance to get up close and photograph this splendid Yellow Wagtail who as happily foraging around the edge of the pool.

There has been a few local lads keeping a close eye on this site recently so I will keep my fingers crossed one of us will pick something exciting up here, it's a modest site but has some potential.

03/05/2014 Winwick, Warrington

Yellow Wagtail: After spending a few days trying for a  few decent shots of Yellow Wags down Barrow, one finally came close enough to reel off a few decent frames.

Also flushed a couple of Grey Partridge and spotted several Yellow Hammer.

23/04/2014 Houghton Green Flash

Yellow Wagtail: A quick stop off at Houghton before a meeting at Wigg Island and I'm glad I did, as I stumbled across this little ray of sunshine!

Little Ringed Plover: I counted 4 LRP scurrying around the edge of the flash like wind up toys.

The flash itself was very quiet, I was hoping to find a tern or two but alas I had to settle with a handful of BH Gulls a Cormorant a single Redshank and GC Grebes.

Common Sandpiper: I was pleased to have picked up two common sands feeding on the edge of the far bank, however without trying to disturb them I just couldn't manage to get close enough for a decent shot!

10/09/2013 Billinge Hill

Yellow Wagtail:  This was my first visit up the highest point in St Helens and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was Paul Brady who invited me for a spot of patching and we met Damain another local Billing Hill patcher.

Pied Wagtail: On the way up we spotted a few Yellowhammer a single willow tit and a female Sparrowhawk. One the way down we spotted a load of Tree Sparrow, Yellow Wagtail, Whitethroat and a few Common Gull passing over head.

Wheatear: As we approached the fields near the horse paddocks, on the hill. Paul and I spotted at least 10 Wheatear bouncing around. This was the highlight as it was a little unexpected.

We then had a call saying that a Black Tern had made an appearance down the road at Eccleston Mere so me and Paul raced over but had no luck although we did have some great fly-buy views of the Kingfisher there.


I was very impressed with Billinge Hill and St Helens in general and will be making an effort to bird that area now that I am a local Wigan lad.

26/04/2013 Frodsham Marsh

Whitethroat: (female) I LOVE Frodsham Marsh but or me Froddie can be very hit or miss, but today was definitely a hit!









Tank no.3 was full of Whitethroat, Chiffchaff and the odd Reed Warbler singing from the reeds and at the far end of no.6 there were both female and male Marsh Harriers showing really well. They flushed a dozen Black Tailed Godwit and Redshank.

Yellow Wagtail: I walked all the way around tank no.6 past Lordship Marsh were I spotted two Yellow Wags in the recently ploughed field.

This was one of my two target birds for the day and I was thrilled to see it close up, the last time I saw a Yellow Wag was right here in the same field a few years back, but at some distance.

Winchat: The second of my two target birds was spotted almost straight after getting my first, I spotted two Winchat in the same ploughed field along with a few Reed Bunting and one female Wheatear and I saw my first two Swift of the year.





OK today was no Rock Thrush, Hoopoe or Rich Pip at Spurn (I turned down a lift) but getting both birds I wanted to see made my day that little more bearable.