Grey Wagtail Family

A pair of grey wagtails have been nesting just where the road crosses the stream at the top of the creek. It's never struck me as a particularly ideal spot, as a couple of waste water pipes join the stream just under the bridge and it's occasionally a bit soapy, but it's close to the mud and there's plenty of cover. I've been watching for signs of babies, and today I saw a fledgling sitting on a brick in the middle of the stream being fed. Although the tail is much shorter, it bobs just as enthusiastically as the adult, combining this with the usual wing fluttering and open mouthed crouching. Seems pretty effective...

There's been a new sparrow explosion in my back garden, too. Once more every adult seems to have a fledgling at each shoulder. I wonder why there seem to be far more males feeding fledglings than females?