Snow Buntings

I decided to go back to the Worcestershire Beacon a few days ago to try and get some better views of Snow Bunting which I briefly spotted in November. 

After a walk round the hills I started to give up hope when I spotted birdwatchers looking at a patch in the grass and saw the illusive bunting! I got down low and after a while it wandered closer to me until it was about 2 feet away from me! 

Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) are amazing birds; most breed in the Arctic, Greenland and Scandinavia but about 60 pairs breed in a very small spot of the Highlands of Scotland. However, during the winter around 10,000 to 15,000 birds come to the coasts around England, Wales, Ireland and more inland in Scotland. They mainly feed on seeds, insects and plants and can live up to 9 years and weigh up to 40g. 

I think that they may stay a little bit longer on the Worcestershire Beacon, but they will almost certainly be gone by March.