Oxpecker

One of my favourite birds was accused of lacking charisma in a recent post on the the KOS forum.

Today I did a couple of hours round the tetrad centred around the Connaught Barracks and on Bere farm I did find a singing Corn Bunting. They may not be the most colourful of our birds, but they lead exciting lives, and the females seem to find some males charismatic enough.

Although many of them do lead monogamous lives in some areas many of the males are polygamous (up to about 20%) while in one area polyandry was also reported. You obviously don't need colourful feathers for a colourful life style!

By the farmyard I watched this Pied Wagtail for a while. The much paler grey back had me thinking for a while, especially as the bib seemed larger than I expected on a female.

This is another view of the same bird. Reading in "Pipits and Wagtails" by Alstrom and Mild it does seem that some female Pied, "yarrelli" are difficult to tell from White, "alba". As it was walking round a puddle I didn't' manage a good look at the rump colour.

It did appear to to be associating with this male Pied Wagtail, so perhaps that is an indication that my original thought of female Pied was correct.

A puddle, especially after all the dry weather was an attraction for many birds, this Robin pooped in before I continued on my TTV.

Right by the A2, as it drops down to the docks I noticed this nest, with the tail of a Crow sticking out. It did seem an appropriate place for a crows nest, over looking the comings and goings of the ferries (not of course Sea-France when they are on strike).

When in Africa sorting out the two species of Ox-peckers is always a bit of fun, but the one I watch today was really straight forward.

I suppose if you want a good lining to your nest the back of a bullock is a good place to gather the material.