The other wagtail

Easy to miss but easy to spot too as it moves energetically and unceasingly, a tiny little thing amidst the dry leaves litter on the ground, but not easy to get close too.  The best respite for ideal shots would be when it halts for a catch, above and on the ground.

The Forest Wagtail (Dendronanthus indicus) is always a delight albeit a challenge to come across.

Refresher (extract mybis):

Order - Passeriformes

Family - Motacillidae

Genus - Dendronanthus

Specific epithet - indicus (J F Gmelin, 1789)

Common name: Forest Wagtail, Kedidi Hutan, Kedidi-air Hutan, Pipit Rimba

Status: Least Concern

19/2024

 

A wagtail dawdler

 I thought I'll 'See you in September/See you when the summer's through' so the song goes ...., which was normally when you arrived during the migratory season.

So how stunned I was when walking towards what sounded like a cacophony of avian bickerings, you suddenly popped out, looking like you were in a territorial dispute.

And so that was how I chanced upon a Forest Wagtail (Dendronanthus indicus) at this time of the year when almost all migrant birds have left for their home.

It didn't look the least fazed being an 'alien' and quickly got down to seek a grub.

Wagging its tail and foraging in its usual incessant manner,  I was hoping for some photo ops that would differ from the usual forest ground backdrop.

And I supposed this was the best as it did a 'catwalk'.

Wagtail came after all

 Let's hope that the taman is at last waking up to the sights of migrant visitors.

And so the passage migrant Forest Wagtail (Dendronanthus indicus) did not give the taman a miss this year.

04/2021

I came, I saw, I left ...

Spooked but not enough for it to fly off, but a supercool walk away!

Early arrival of a wagtail

I have been expecting a wagtail any time now but least of all the Forest Wagtail which by previous records did not make such an early appearance.  Nevertheless the morning to noon avian migrant search turned out productive when this little fella suddenly appeared.  Compared to the other wagtail this one would only spend a couple of days here.

I must say that it has been quite a chase trying to keep up with this tireless fella as it went foraging over a wide area of the taman.

01/2020

And of course, there was plenty to satisfy this fella.

Twice lucky at the same spot!

Wagtail came inland!

This was definitely the first time I spotted the Grey Wagtail so far into the taman.  As usual its wagging movements gave it away!  As quietly as I could to try and approach it for closer shot, it still sensed my presence and took off instantly.

The other Wagtail at last

I had thought that I had missed the arrival of the Forest Wagtail as it was nowhere to be seen, going by the year before, it should have arrived.  Thus it was simply thrilling when this fella suddenly flew into sight as I was on the hunt again for winged migrants to the taman.
12/2019

It's simply challenging as usual to shoot this bird because of its incessant movements, therefore the only way to keep up is to keep on following it, and hoping that it would not sense my presence.

The only time this one paused was to scan the surrounding in response to repeated calls from a white-throated kingfisher, even then, it couldn't stop wagging its tail.  And then it was off again.

Infrequent Wagtail vistor

I was delighted to have another opportunity to get better images of the Forest Wagtail, this time managing to move closer to it, as it was busy wagging tail, i.e. looked like it was having alone time.
It's truly a beautiful bird.

This time it was relatively easier to tail it, but because its plumage almost merged into the background, the only way to keep up with it was to track movements in the grass.

Another wagtail

The migratory season has started and with an eye out for these birds, I scoured the taman and was unexpectedly rewarded with a new arrival, the Forest Wagtail.  This is one bird I hadn't encounter here, in fact it's a lifer for me (yea!) as I had heard that the wagtails had been seen in parks around here before.
Forest Wagtails could have flown in from Russia, S Korea, S Japan or SE China, and true to its name, wagging its tail sideways throughout means getting an image that's less than desirable.  In addition, with it foraging in the ground added to the frustration of getting an open shot.  And this one was certainly busy, walking non-stop seeking such as insects and worms among the fallen leaves and in shady areas.
2/2018

And as with any bird, after feeding, it's time to clean up.

Human beings are not the only who do the spotting.

Another beautiful view.