22nd.May
Grey Wagtails are great to watch, always busy, running around the ground searching for either nest building ‘equipment’ or Flies.
![Grey Wagtail collecting Flies](http://www.downthelane.net/wildlife-diary/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/grey-wagtail-500x399.jpg)
The Lane has about six at present and at no time do you not walk around the corner without seeing one or two scampering along, then in the evenings they’re down in the Stream having a Bath!
The problem for some is ‘why are they called Grey Wagtails and not Yellow!’. The answer to that is quite simple, they have a grey head!
Saying that, why call their cousins Pied Wagtails, although some call them black!
Bird names re quite odd sometimes, a Chiffchaff is obviously called that because of it’s Chiffchaff song, a Blackbird is called that because it’s black, so why isn’t a Robin just called a Redbreast, or a Dunnock called a thin beaked brown. Does a Dartford Warbler come from Dartford, or a Sandwich Tern come from Sandwich. In fact where does Tern come from !!
Anyway, speaking of Blackbirds I just caught this female out the corner of my eye and fancied a quick photo of it. There’s something about Birds carrying things whether it be twigs, flies or other birds in some cases.
![Female Blackbird with food and nesting](http://www.downthelane.net/wildlife-diary/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/blackbird-500x374.jpg)
Many birds around here have their nests, there are House Sparrows under the Eaves, Robins in the Hawthorn Bush and Dunnocks in the Ivy.
Much activity is going on, eggs are either nearly or have hatched.
Parental nature kicks in and Summer is nearly here.
Over 60 pages of Garden Wildlife on the main Web Site here Nature on our Doorstep