White Wagtail
I know this isn't going to get much attention but it is actually the first time I have photographed a White Wagtail in Britain. They are common enough on passage in Britain but mostly at the coast and are not particularly common in the hills. White Wagtails are the Continental subspecies (alba) of our British Pied Wagtails (subspecies yarrellii). Pied Wagtails have a black or very dark grey back (like this: www.flickr.com/photos/timmelling/49669689646/in/photolist ) whereas White Wagtails have a pale grey back showing much contrast with the black head. Juveniles are much harder to separate (eg www.flickr.com/photos/timmelling/43193438854/in/photolist ). Small numbers of Pied Wagtails breed in northern France, the Low Countries and southern Norway. Occasionally Continental White Wagtails breed in Britain, especially on the Northern Isles. Where Pied and Wagtails breed in the same place they select mates of their own type. This assortative mating was sufficient evidence to treat Hooded and Carrion Crows as different species but for the time being Pied and White Wagtails are considered to be one species. Apparently there is no genetic difference between Pied and White Wagtails suggesting a relatively recent and rapid divergence. But there is no genetic difference between Parrot and Common Crossbills and we treat those as distinct species. Most British Pied Wagtails are resident in Britain but some migrate south to spend the winter in Iberia and Western France. The White Wagtails that occur in Britain on passage are mainly Icelandic breeders (plus some from Faeroes and Greenland) and these winter around the Mediterranean with some migrating to sub-Saharan Africa. I photographed this one next to Ingbirchworth reservoir in South Yorkshire.
White Wagtail
I know this isn't going to get much attention but it is actually the first time I have photographed a White Wagtail in Britain. They are common enough on passage in Britain but mostly at the coast and are not particularly common in the hills. White Wagtails are the Continental subspecies (alba) of our British Pied Wagtails (subspecies yarrellii). Pied Wagtails have a black or very dark grey back (like this: www.flickr.com/photos/timmelling/49669689646/in/photolist ) whereas White Wagtails have a pale grey back showing much contrast with the black head. Juveniles are much harder to separate (eg www.flickr.com/photos/timmelling/43193438854/in/photolist ). Small numbers of Pied Wagtails breed in northern France, the Low Countries and southern Norway. Occasionally Continental White Wagtails breed in Britain, especially on the Northern Isles. Where Pied and Wagtails breed in the same place they select mates of their own type. This assortative mating was sufficient evidence to treat Hooded and Carrion Crows as different species but for the time being Pied and White Wagtails are considered to be one species. Apparently there is no genetic difference between Pied and White Wagtails suggesting a relatively recent and rapid divergence. But there is no genetic difference between Parrot and Common Crossbills and we treat those as distinct species. Most British Pied Wagtails are resident in Britain but some migrate south to spend the winter in Iberia and Western France. The White Wagtails that occur in Britain on passage are mainly Icelandic breeders (plus some from Faeroes and Greenland) and these winter around the Mediterranean with some migrating to sub-Saharan Africa. I photographed this one next to Ingbirchworth reservoir in South Yorkshire.