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GREY WAGTAIL. 



Motacilla melanope {Pallas). 



Resident ; chiefly confined in summer to the moorland streams of 

 the west, from Sheffield northward, and Cleveland ; autumnal migrant 

 in small numbers ; more generally distributed in winter. 



Willughby, in 1676, was the first to make reference to 

 the Grey Wagtail as a British bird, thus : — " The Grey Wagtail 

 — Motacilla cinerea, an flava altera Aldrov ? . . . . The 

 description of this bird was communicated to us by Mr. 

 Johnson of Brignall, near Greta Bridge, in Yorkshire." (Will. 

 " Orn." pp. 24, 238.) 



Thomas Allis, 1844, wrote : — 



Motacilla boarula. — Grey Wagtail — Frequently breeds on the moor 

 streams near Sheffield, and visits the neighbourhood of the town in 

 winter ; the neighbourhood of Luddenden near Halifax has been a 

 favourite breeding place of this species, but the same bird-stuffers 

 that have persecuted the Pied Flycatcher make a point of shooting all 

 the males. It is common in most parts, though not very frequent near 

 Huddersfield. 



A characteristic bird of the rocky and moorland streams 

 of Yorkshire, the Grey Wagtail is, during the breeding season, 

 practically confined to the upper reaches of our rivers from 

 Sheffield northward, including the dales of the north-west 

 and the Cleveland district, where, in the most elevated parts 

 of the county, it is fairly abundant. In autumn the birds 

 descend to the lower lands and become more general in their 

 distribution, remaining until the following spring when they 

 depart for their breeding places. 



Although a sedentary species with us it is regularly noted 

 as an autumnal immigrant on the coast in small numbers, 

 and usually during the first fortnight in September ; at the 

 Teesmouth I have noticed that, although the call of this 

 bird may frequently be heard among those of the hosts of 

 migrants which are coming in before daybreak, very few are 

 actually seen at the coast line. We always have a few 

 " tired out " individuals on the beach in the early mornings 



