On the move

  

A beautiful White Wagtail (Motacilla alba) was found near Gaffney Point in Bodega Harbor yesterday.  I took a short break from work and felt lucky to snap a few quick photos.  The wagtail was feeding along the shoreline, actively chasing after insects.

White Wagtails are accidental vagrants here.  It sounds like this is only the second record for Sonoma County, but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong about that.  

To learn more about White Wagtail records in California, you can check out the Rare Birds of California species account here. 

Avian miscellany

 

 

I didn't have much time to focus on bird photos during our Iceland trip, but here are a few incidental sightings.  Above, a White Wagtail (Motacilla alba).

 

 

Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe)

 

 

 

  Redwing (Turdus iliacus)

 

 

  Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)

 

 

 

  Whooper Swans (Cygnus cygnus)

 

 

 

 Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)

Moving tail is right!

I couldn't resist taking a few hours off from work this afternoon for a trip to Rodeo Lagoon (Marin County) to see the White Wagtail (Motacilla alba) first spotted there yesterday.  There are only about 30 records of this species in California — these long-distance vagrants might originate from Eurasia or Alaska.

Although it was easy to observe this bird with a spotting scope, my camera lens wasn't nearly strong enough for close-up photos.

Here are a couple for the record — a side profile (with a hint of the black breast patch), and another photo highlighting the long tail and feeding position:

 

 

Len posted some much better pictures here.

And if you're interested, the White Wagtail account (along with the figures and table) from the Rare Birds of California is informative.

P.S.  The genus, Motacilla, means "moving tail" — and in this case, the name is quite appropriate.  Check out this video posted by Stephen Berylant.