The Willie Wagtail

When we first arrived, a Willie wagtail danced along with us as we drove along the path that entered the property. For me this was quite significant as the Willie Wagtail has always been our “Nanny Sue” bird. My mother passed away at 56 with cancer and I always feel her smiling down at me when I see that bird. They used to dance in the garden when I visited her.

They are a common Australian bird but I only seem to notice them when I am at a place of calm and peace, usually when I’m away from the city. It’s like mum is visiting and saying “I’m glad you’re here and happy”.

The Willie Wagtail is the largest and most well-known of the Australian fantails and their name stems from the constant sideways wagging of the tail.

They are mostly found in open forests and woodlands and often absent from wet sclerophpyll forests and rainforests. We have seen an abundance of them at Booyong these past few weeks and they seem to be very tolerant of us and the horses in the front paddock.

They are a very active bird and can be seen darting around as they hunt and capture insects. They nest in the branch of a tree and eggs can be incubated by both sexes.

More information can be found at Birds in Backyards

Reference: http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Rhipidura-leucophrys