Willie Wagtail on the beach
This charming bird is well known throughout Australia. The Willie Wagtail swings its fan-tail from side to side and enjoys aerial acrobatics while foraging for insects. With wings and tail spread it often appears to cartwheel through the air! This one was watching me and moving swiftly away down the beach, catching prey as it went with a hop skip, twirl and flurry.
The Willie Wagtail was an important bird to Australia’s indigenous people and there are many Dreamtime stories about it … but here is a current day story from the Northern Territory, and the weather effects caused by harming a Willie Wagtail or Titjarritjarra.
dadirridreaming 
Looks like a darker version of our Eastern Kingbird.
glad to hear you have a cheeky fun little bird like this!
Such lovable little creatures. They always seem to be living the moment with great verve and gusto! And wicked! I remember how they (or was it just one fellow?) used to dive bomb Ma’s cat and fly away with beautiful Burmese cat hair to insulate their nests.
right again! completely fearless and so quick they are away before a sleepy cat can respond!
Laughing … remembering the look on Kai’s face, rolling her eyes to try to understand what had happened!
At last a bird that we have here lol! The link is cool bit I’ll have to wait til I get home to hear the old stories.
I have another bird for you tomorrow … the Eastern Spinebill, although speedy, has been captured well enough to share 🙂
Wonderful! He’s off on a determined looking mission, and that look he’s giving the camera is saying: ‘I haven’t got time! I’m busy!’
you understand him immediately jude! thanks for your visit 🙂
Obviously one of those characters of the bird world 🙂 Our wagtails are cheeky but less bold (which may seem a contradiction).
We’re having WWIII outside this week as the Wood Pigeons try to reaffirm dominence over the Feral Pigeons at the bird table. Meanwhile the Greenfinches sit on the feeders chomping away as if there’s nothing going on around them! Really cool customers!
glad you enjoyed the Willie Wagtail, cant help but like him … and at your feeder …. oh the tensions of spring …. as felt by pigeons!
Oh I love wagtails – one of my favourite birds! I love their fearlessness, I’ve seen them chase off crows and magpies. They have such wonderful characters – boisterous and lively! They are only small on the outside! I like the way they have that white flash, like an eyebrow. It makes them look a bit cross and determined. Fascinating creatures.
Willie Wagtail = cute name!
LOVE ‘EM ! My first piano piece was about Willy Wagtails. Let’s see, I started learning the goanna at 8: so it was 62 years ago ! 🙂
hello MR, they are the most fascinating little birds, with their cheeky voices and bold tail swishing! fancy you finding this old post!
I will manage to espy a magpie, a kooka or a willy tagtail if there are pictures of ’em ANYWHERE. 🙂
that love of our creatures is built into us isn’t it? or maybe just those of us with ears and eyes to notice …