Strandloper Trail #4: Wag It!
This is the 4th in a series of 8 caches along this magical stretch of Atlantic coast between Scarborough Beach and Witsand Beach. It can be linked with additional caches before the southern start of the trail at Schusterskraal and Scarborough Beach and caches a little further on beyond the northern end of the trail, at the Crayfish Factory.
The cache, a small slim black-taped tablet pot, is hidden towards the northern end of the Misty Cliffs beach near where the trail continues over a moist grassy area with a few fresh water ponds in front of some beach houses.
It was here that a pair of these commonly seen distinctive small birds with their characteristic constant bobbing tails were seen busily foraging for insects in the low vegetation.
To Reach the Cache Location
Long approach (extra 600m/15 mins along sandy/rocky beach) which includes my GC9CXFD Scarborough Beach: Surf’s Up! cache and Paddawan’s Shipwreck Series cache GC2AA9W SS Ikan Tanda: park at the large Scarborough Beach parking area S34 11.934 E18 22.338 and having properly secured your cachemobile, pick up the trail from S34 11.934 E18 22.323 heading north through the coastal vegetation towards the beach. From here simply follow the track or where indistinct, any other suitable route, up the coast following the cache series.
Short approach: park in the small lay-by on the coastal road at S34 11.001 E18 21.735 and head down the steps to the cache location to the left.
The Cape or Well’s wagtail (Motacilla capensis) is a small, elegant, long-tailed, rather drab-coloured, insectivorous bird widespread in southern Africa – and one of the most commonly seen garden birds. It is mostly resident and territorial but it may do limited altitudinal migration or form flocks outside of the breeding season.
It is a passerine birds in the Motacillidae family, which includes pipits and longclaws. Of the 3 subspecies, the one seen here is M.c.subsp. capensis.
It is found in almost any habitat that has open ground adjacent to water, and also along rocky coastlines (such as here along the Strandloper Trail) in farms, villages, cultivated land, parks, lawns, gardens and urban centres.
Its main food is invertebrates obtained by foraging, with
constant tail-bobbing (not in fact wagging) mainly on the ground or in shallow water. It may also feed on insects attracted by lights or caught in car radiators. It also eats fiddler crabs, sandhoppers, snails, ticks, tadpoles, small fish, small chameleons, human food and carrion.
Its call (listen here) is a buzzy ‘tseeei’ that is often doubled and its song (listen here) is a complex jumble of different repeated notes.
There is much debate over the purpose of the wagging tail - a quaint and endearing trait. There is evidence that it may help flush out insects. It may deter potential predators by showing that the bird is constantly alert. There may also be a social element to the wagging, to stay in touch with other wagtails in the area. Maybe they are just happy in the same way dogs wag their tails.
It is a monogamous, territorial solitary nester, and breeding pairs stay together over several breeding seasons. Like many territorial birds, males will fiercely attack their own reflection when seen in mirrors or windows.
The nest is built by both sexes and is a cup made of a wide range of natural and artificial materials lined with hair, rootlets, wool and feathers. It is usually in a recess within a steep bank, tree, or bush, or in a man-made location like a hole in a wall, a pot plant, or a bridge.
It breeds all year round but peak egg-laying is from 
July-Dec when 1-5 eggs are laid, which both parents take turns incubating for 13–15 days. Once hatched, chicks are fed by both parents, until they leave the nest after 14–18 days. Once fledged they adults continue to feed them for another 20–25 days, and the young become fully independent 44-60 days after fledging.
It may be used as a host for the brood parasites Diderick, Jacobin and Levaillant's cuckoos. Predators include sparrowhawks, cats and rats.
See Cape Wagtail videos: 15 days in the life of a Cape Wagtail, taking a bath, feeding a cuckoo chick, on the rocks.