‘The birds were very shy and did not enter the house as long as I was in there,’ explains Pål. Trying not to disturb the wagtails, Pål set up a remote camera with a monitor controlled from his car. After three days he was able to photograph the couple’s nest – snug inside was a brood of half-grown chicks.
From drainpipes to disused machinery, white wagtails make nests in unusual locations. Once settled, the adults will both care for between three to seven chicks inside a rough cup of twigs, roots and moss – delivering regular beakfuls of insects for two weeks.
Norway
A trained dentist and a homeopath, Pål has also written and illustrated more than 30 books. His pictures have been published and exhibited worldwide, and have garnered many prizes in major competitions such as Wildlife Photographer of the Year, World Press Photo and GDT (the Society of German Nature Photographers). His work has also been published in National Geographic, GEO and BBC Wildlife.
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