Category Archives: Buntings

The best date in the birding calendar?

Posted on October 31, 2012 by

What’s the one date in the year you’d want to book off work? Here in the far north of Britain, the week just gone has been one of the best of the autumn. No great surprise there – some of … Continue reading →

Posted in Buntings, Chats and Thrushes, Pipits, Shetland, Warblers | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

First Lapland Bunting

Posted on August 25, 2012 by

In U.K. this autumn by Martin Not like it’s really rare or anything, but I enjoyed it! Having been inspired (yet again) by a long conversation with Magnus R. at the Birdfair I gave myself a week to improve my sound recording (= do more).  Opened my nocturnal effort with Tree Pipit … Continue reading →

Posted in Buntings, Pipits | 4 Comments

Cretzschmar’s Bunting

Posted on May 12, 2012 by

Tricky ID’s Seems ridiculous to say but both Cretzschmar’s and Ortolan Buntings can in the space of a few hours, become backcloth birds in southern Israel in spring. Just a walk in the small urban parks produces flock of both species, sometimes 40-60 birds feeding together. Yes, it is ridiculous! Both of these photos were taken just … Continue reading →

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Sheffield Snow Bunting again

Posted on January 17, 2012 by

Sex, age and race. In answer to the questions I posed to myself and others this is where I’ve got.  My gut reaction to begin with was that the bird was a female, probably an adult and I wondered if … Continue reading →

Posted in Buntings | 1 Comment

Snow Bunting in Sheffield

Posted on January 9, 2012 by

from where? Popped out y’day morning to see the Snow Bunting at Orgreave. Fascinating incredibly hardy birds who live in some of the harshest environments on the planet (and I don’t mean Orgreave!). I suspect the age, sex and subspecies of this one … Continue reading →

Posted in Buntings | 5 Comments

Lost my Mojo

Posted on December 28, 2011 by

Linosa Diaries (cont’d) Rare bird hunting, migration watching, tiny island dwelling. It’s a game of highs and lows. I arrived on Linosa in early November, having already had a very good autumn. However it was a place, with a mix of birds, with which I was unfamiliar. I had the warmest of welcomes which was maintained throughout. … Continue reading →

Posted in Buntings, Linosa | 7 Comments

Female Pine Bunting

Posted on December 24, 2011 by

Overlooked? I was fortunate to find a female Pine Bunting in November 2003 at Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire. One of the fascinating things I discovered was that for every male Pine Bunting trapped on the near continent, 2 FEMALE Pine Buntings … Continue reading →

Posted in Buntings, Shetland | Leave a comment

Shetland, Wednesday 28th Sept 2011

Posted on October 24, 2011 by

A Rubbish Day! Decided on  a bit of dirty twitching to the Mainland as the guys were keen to see the Lesser Grey Shrike if at all possible. I had taken a little risk and held off going. Hoping I had made the … Continue reading →

Posted in Buntings, Shetland, Shrikes, Wildfowl | 1 Comment

Siberian Snow Bunting

Posted on May 23, 2011 by

Should it be on the British List? Heading up the northern shoreline of the Varanger fjord, Tormod and I encountered some fantastic flocks of seaducks. With some much food-rich water, most bays contain seaducks and gulls.  With a bit of looking a few Steller’s Eiderwere found and stragglers of the wintering King Eider population. In one bay we … Continue reading →

Posted in Arctic Norway, Buntings | Leave a comment