Birds of Britain 



islands. It spends its life climbing over the bare and pre- 

 cipitous surfaces of rock, searching for spiders and other 

 insects on which it feeds. 



The general colour is slate grey with crimson wing 

 coverts and a black throat. The tail feathers are not stiff 

 as in the preceding species. Length 6 in. ; wing 3 "9 in 



THE PIED WAGTAIL 



Motacilla lugubris, Temminck 



" Chizzit, chizzit," and looking round we see our little 

 grey friend as he passes with his peculiar and characteristic 

 dipping flight across the field towards the ivy-clad wall. 

 Every year he comes with unfailing regularity to rear his 

 brood near the same spot. It is an old red -brick wall, 

 thickly covered with ivy, which has concealed the various 

 nooks and crannies brought about by the winter's frosts and 

 the heat of the summer sun. In such a place the Pied 

 Wagtail delights to build his nest. Although not strictly 

 speaking a migrant, for some individuals spend the whole 

 year with us, he nevertheless appears with unfailing regularity 

 towards the end of April at his accustomed haunt, and 

 probably brings his mate with him, for we seldom see 

 more than a pair together at their breeding quarters, and 

 thus quietly, and without any demonstration, the nest- 

 building is begun. This is usually done in the very early 

 hours of the morning, and the day is spent in some neigh- 

 bouring field among the cattle, with occasional excursions to 



86 



