Jacqueline Burrell
March 4th, 2008, 02:25 PM
These photos were taken in Taba on the Gulf of Aqaba in February with a D2X.
Solitary pied wagtails were to be seen all over the place during the day but between 4.15 and 4.30pm about 45 minutes before sunset they began they daily ritual.
Arriving at a salt water inlet from the sea, they would first peck at the algae and also appeared to drink then they would have a bath. They groomed and dried off perching on the branches of a leafless tree a few feet from the shore in the dying rays of the sun before flying off to roost in heavy foliage.
I am aware that many secies of birds drink seawater, but I was surprised about the wagtails as there was plenty of fresh water in the vicinity and I would have thought it would be their first preference.
Jacqueline
Solitary pied wagtails were to be seen all over the place during the day but between 4.15 and 4.30pm about 45 minutes before sunset they began they daily ritual.
Arriving at a salt water inlet from the sea, they would first peck at the algae and also appeared to drink then they would have a bath. They groomed and dried off perching on the branches of a leafless tree a few feet from the shore in the dying rays of the sun before flying off to roost in heavy foliage.
I am aware that many secies of birds drink seawater, but I was surprised about the wagtails as there was plenty of fresh water in the vicinity and I would have thought it would be their first preference.
Jacqueline