Subject: [Tweeters] Wagtail id question
Date: Thu Jan 25 19:12:06 PST 2018
From: amk17 at earthlink.net - amk17 at earthlink.net

I was fortunate to observe and listen to flight calls of the wagtail today. Thank you Logan Searl!!

And I took a few really bad photos; however I am having a little trouble convincing myself that this is a white wagtail and not a black-backed. But this is my first wagtail sp and the pics and the descriptions just don't seem to match, fully, a white wagtail.

It appears to be a first winter (or non-breeding if white wagtail) adult female. In my photos I do not see dark bases below the white median coverts but the bars appear thin. Of interest, Logan pointed out yellow at the base of the bill when viewed through the scope (just visible in some photos). The flight call was clearly a chiswick or a jijik.

Just wondering if everyone is confident on the id. I'll try to post photos on flicker later and share the link but they are not great. Hopefully others have better photos and videos.

AKopitov
Seattle, WA