" The nest is made of dead grass, fibrous roots and moss." 



THE YELLOW WAGTAIL 



HEN daisies and buttercups 



W commence to bedeck our 

 meadows the Yellow Wag 

 tail returns from its winter 

 quarters in Africa to enliven 

 the landscape with its 

 bright colours, animated 

 manners and shrill musical 

 call-notes, which can easily be distin- 

 guished by the practised ear from those 

 of either the Grey or Pied Wagtails. 



This species is particularly fond of 

 flies attracted by grazing cattle. In 

 fact, almost the same kind of relation- 

 ship appears to exist between the two 

 creatures as that between sheep and 

 starlings. Any fine spring morning 

 Yellow Wagtails may be observed 

 nimbly running close round the heads of 

 browsing cows, or beneath their bodies, 

 without showing the slightest hesitation 

 or nervousness, and on more than one 

 occasion I have witnessed one alight 

 upon the back of its benefactor. 



It breeds numerously in many parts 

 of England, such as the marshes of 



Norfolk and Suffolk and the dales in 

 the North, is common in Wales and the 

 Lowlands of Scotland, but rare and 

 local in Ireland. 



The Yellow Wagtail does not, like 

 its kinsman, the Grey Wagtail, cling 

 tenaciously to the waterside for breed- 

 ing purposes, nor affect the haunts of 

 men as in the case of the better known 

 " dishwasher." It is rather partial to 

 secluded haunts, and I have found it 

 nesting amongst heather growing on a 

 dry Surrey common and in rushes on 

 the Westmorland Fells at a consider- 

 able distance from water of any kind. 



The nest is made of dead grass, fibrous 

 roots and moss, lined with horsehair, 

 cowhair, and down. Sometimes a few 

 feathers are used. The structure is 

 generally well hidden and difficult to 

 find on account of the alertness of its 

 owners. Both sexes share the work of 

 incubation, and give each other timely 

 warning of any kind of danger that may 

 happen to approach the whereabouts of 

 the nest. 



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