60 BIRD LIFE IN WILD WALES 



of ground colouring ; another has well-defined 

 blotches and speckles. The ground colour where it 

 can be seen is of a creamy white, the spots and 

 blotches brownish yellow of various shades. During 

 the winter months this species leaves its summer 

 haunts, migrating further south, and may then be 

 seen in small parties in most of our southern and mid- 

 land counties feeding at the horseponds or pools in 

 the rickyard in company with the Pied Wagtail. 

 Occasionally, but very occasionally, a pair stop in one 

 of these southern haunts for the summer. The only 

 other bird likely to be confused with this species is 

 the Blue-headed Wagtail, but this bird is an ex- 

 tremely rare migrant to our shores, and is a fre- 

 quenter of pasture land rather than rockbound 

 streams. In summer, however, the male Grey Wag- 

 tail may always be distinguished from it by the black 

 patch on the throat, and, as above remarked, the Blue- 

 headed species is absent from our islands in the winter. 

 We may just say that the female Grey Wagtail has 

 no black throat-patch, and in winter the cock loses his. 

 The Pied Wagtail (M. alba yarelii)\ not so much 

 a bird of the river as the preceding species, but still 

 his nest may often enough be discovered under tree 

 roots on the river bank, and more than once we have 

 been fortunate enough to discover the egg of that 

 interloper the Cuckoo in it. This Wagtail is always 

 double-brooded, the first eggs being laid the latter 

 end of April, the second clutch during the first week 

 in June. These eggs are of a greyish or bluish white 

 ground colour, freckled and mottled with ash-brown 

 and underlying markings of grey. 



