The Yellow Wagtail !

The Yellow Wagtail !

While returning from office after hard day’s work at Pinjore, I spotted a Yellow Wagtail hopping merrily. It jumped from one spot to another, dipped its tail on and off and thumped it to the ground gracefully as it was dancing .

All wagtails are dainty, delicate birds but the yellow one is the most graceful of them all.. Running lightly within inches of grazing cattle, their slight bodies are often hidden, but bright colours, catch the eye.

It breeds in Alaska and Siberia and is an early winter visitor to India during the non breeding season . To find it in the hot month of April is bit surprising. This is the first time I spotted it in Pinjore.

Migration is the seasonal movement between their wintering and breeding habitats. They follow established migratory routes. Most long distance migrant birds fly at night. They may travel continuously or land daily around sunrise to rest and feed.

Traveling to different habitats enables birds to find plenty of food throughout the year. In the winter, when food sources are limited in northern areas, they fly south to areas that have mild weather and abundant food.

Perhaps , migration in birds is controlled by an internal clock operating on an annual rhythm. Each year, at a certain time, their biological clocks signal that it's time to fly. Through a variety of methods birds find their way over vast distances each year.

Birds seem to have a unique sense to find their way on the wide-ranging journeys. They rely on several different cues - the geomagnetic field, sun, sunset, skylight patterns and most importantly the position of the stars.

They wait for the most favourable weather conditions then set off on their journey. A strong wind in the right direction will speed the birds on their way. If there are strong headwinds, the birds' speed will be greatly reduced, therefore it will need more fat reserves to travel the same distance. But eventually, they find their destinations. No boundaries, no visas, no passports, no custom clearances are required by them. Aren’t they lucky?

As per the legend of Egypt, Yellow Wagtail is the representation of Atum. Atum was a "Complete" deity of the earlier times, the creator and the finisher who ultimately lands in the watery chaos. He was also considered the father of the king