has anyone else seen a proliferation of these wonderful little birds, until this year i had not seen one for decades now they are everywhere in our area like sparrows used to be
Yes.
I have only noticed them this year. On my local walk which I have done for years, there have been loads. I confess I had to look it up because I wasn’t familiar with the species.
We see quite a lot of them, but only when the weather is cold - usually pecking away at nothing in particular on concrete, paving stones etc.
There were two in the garden this morning pecking at clean paving slabs.
You normally see only one on its own. I was fortunate to be working somewhere years ago that had a favourite roosting tree. The odd one would fly in at sunset. Then two or three together. Then groups, Until there we’re hundreds in this tree.
Back in my teaching days (over 30 years ago, in Sheffield) our school yard was nearly always covered in dozens of pied wagtails, even when hundreds of hulking great teenagers were playing football all around them!
I don't seem to see so many here in East Anglia but there are always one or two hopping around the burger van up the road, waiting for any food that gets dropped by customers ;-)