With the expansion of towns and cities and the intensification of agriculture to support an ever-increasing human population, a tremendous strain has been put on the natural world.

Many species have found it increasingly difficult to survive either through the loss of their natural habitat or through unnatural competition though some have thrived.

There are a few animals which have benefited from our civilisation of the natural world.

Probably the most successful are the animals we now consider pests - the cockroach and the brown rat.

In Britain and elsewhere, there are several small birds which have adapted well to urban life including the pigeon, starling and sparrow.

While in some situations these can be considered pests, many people have welcomed them into their gardens.

In my opinion, the bird which seems to have excelled in adapting to urban life and winning over the hearts of its human neighbours is the robin.

It's cheery colour and almost fearless attitude towards humans has led it to be many people's favourite bird. Goodness knows how many Christmas cards I have received over the years with robins forming the central feature.

Another bird which, like the robin, has adapted well to the urban environment, is the pied wagtail.

This beautiful small bird can frequently be seen, especially at this time of year, running, skipping and bobbing its head and tail in its characteristic fashion across streets, car parks and lawns throughout the district.

It's a mystery to me how this attractive little black and white bird appears not to have acquired the same celebrity status as the robin.

Pied wagtails, when not living close to our urban areas, thrive in a wide range of habitats, from the deserts of North Africa to the Russian Steppes.

They do prefer to be in close proximity to water though, whether it is rivers, lakes, estuaries or even the coast.

Canals are also a favourite, so the land around the Kidderminster area provides pied wagtails with a wealth of both natural and man-made habitats it can exploit.

Wagtails like to eat small insects and are a positive benefit to have around an urban area as they help to keep the fly population in check.

For this reason, I welcome the sight of these beautiful birds skipping around the district.