Wagtails off on African odyssey

Shrill bird calls ring out over a grassy paddock before fading on the morning breeze. The dawn wake-up call musters a flock of yellow wagtails to set off on the next leg of a perilous journey from pastoral England deep into Africa.

Feeding at the feet of ponies one moment, the wagtails will soon be foraging around gazelle and goat herds.

Bird sound experts describe the flight note of the yellow wagtail as sounding something like the word sweet, but for me there is nothing sugary about the distinctive whistles that are an integral part of nature’s autumn soundtrack.

Up to 40,000 adult British yellow wagtails and at least three times that number of juveniles are presently heading from our shores to wintering grounds that remain steeped in mystique.

While a handful of ringed birds have been recovered in the Gambia, Senegal and Nigeria, much has yet to be discovered about the wagtail’s movements.

That said, something the yellow wagtail has been able to illustrate is the evolution of a complex “super species” in action.

The small squadron of yellow wagtails I watched alighting from the horse field in the heart of the Home Counties were of the British type flavissima, identifiable by the males’ sunshine yellow heads.

Across the North Sea, the blue-headed or flava form prevails in the Low Countries, as do other types throughout Scandinavia, the Mediterranean, Eastern Europe and into Asia, each with distinctive head markings.

At least 12 different types are recognised and those found in the Far East and Alaska have recently been accepted as a full species.

One of the best places to be thrilled by the variety of yellow wagtails is Israel during migration time, when vast numbers head through the Middle East into Eurasia.

Arguably, the most beautiful is the blackheaded or feldegg type.

On my last visit to Israel, I was lucky enough to photograph one of the scarcest and, some might say, most dazzling forms, which is known as xanthophrys. The males have a black head and striking yellow eyebrows.

Thousands make the journey to Africa but it is steeped in mystique

STOPOVER A wagtail lands for a drink in Israel