A white wagtail stands on the BA Sundial.
Photo by Aymen Ibrahem, Senior Astronomy Specialist

White wagtails are wonderful migratory birds. They are small insectivores, measuring about 15 cm in length. They characteristically wag their long tails after landing. White wagtails migrate from Europe and Asia to Africa. They are observable in Egypt, from October to May.

Interestingly, while performing his regular observations of optical atmospheric phenomena on the BA Plaza, BA Senior Astronomy Specialist, Aymen Ibrahem, photographed a wagtail walking on the BA Sundial.

“Amazingly, the bird appeared as if it were reading the time on the Sundial,” said Ibrahem with a smile. “I frequently observe wagtails searching for food on the Plaza, but they are probably interested in our Sundial!”

Sundials are devices that measure time by the position of the Sun on the sky. They have been known for thousands of years. The earliest known sundials were invented in ancient Egypt and Babylon. 

The BA Sundial has a graduated flat surface, marked with the hours of the day. Simple instructions on how to find the time through the Sundial are inscribed on its surface. The picture gallery below presents some of Ibrahem’s pictures of wagtails and the Sundial.

 Picture Gallery

Fig (1)
Photo by Aymen Ibrahem, Senior Astronomy Specialist

Fig (2)
Photo by Aymen Ibrahem, Senior Astronomy Specialist

Fig (3)
Photo by Aymen Ibrahem, Senior Astronomy Specialist

Fig (4)      
Photo by Aymen Ibrahem, Senior Astronomy Specialist

Fig (5)
Photo by Aymen Ibrahem, Senior Astronomy Specialist

Further Reading

White Wagtails Return to Alexandria
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Aymen Mohamed Ibrahem
Senior Astronomy Specialist