summer is a great season along the seashore here, not the beaches but the rocks. it's definitely tourist season but just by avoiding the most popular areas there are still a number of places where one can be almost alone. you have to get off the trails and scale some of the steeper sections but that's the terrain i enjoy the most. once i settled the destination the next question was whether i should bring the camera or just rely on my S22. the mobile phone is great for most situations but not for birds. more often than not i leave the bulky camera home but occasionally i take it along in hopes of getting some interesting bird shots.
white wagtails are among the species i most often spot in town but it's also prevalent away from habitation. they can often be found where ever seaweed washes up on the shore and forms piles where the wagtails find lots of insects to eat. as i was walking through an area with bright yellow lichen on the rock i was glad i had decided to bring the camera. suddenly i spotted a wagtail that was perfectly perched and fortunately it stayed in one place long enough to get a few shots without disturbing it because i kept a reasonable distance.
they tend to move around a lot so i was quite lucky. they are easy to identify with their white face and forehead surrounded by a black neck and back of the head. they frequently raise and lower their tail, hence the name wagtail. i don't know the purpose of such uncommon behavior but it makes identification of the species very simple.
it was looking very handsome with the black and white coloration and especially so with the bright lichen on the gray rocks and a clear blue sky. a fine feathered friend indeed
