We had heavy snow showers on the coast on Friday, so today the snow was still covering the upper part of the beach at Seaburn, where we found this flock of about a dozen snow buntings in about as natural a setting - for a snow bunting - as you could wish for. By early afternoon we had a very high spring tide that pushed the birds into the narrow zone between the edge of the snow and the beach, where they fed on the tideline where snow-covered grass met the stranded seaweed, flotsam and jetsam.
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What a really great flight shot in the first photo.
ReplyDeleteI have never been fortunate enough to see a Snow Bunting Phil, thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteNever seen these birds before Phil, but you caught them in a perfect setting.
ReplyDeleteAnd agree with John; that first one is a cracking flight shot.
A stroke of luck really, John, it just happened to turn with wings outstretched at the right moment - no way I could have planned it. They're very skittish birds. There were dog-walkers all along the beach, so the buntings never settled for very long.
ReplyDeleteI've only seen them a couple of times before Roy, along the Northumberland coast at Embleton in autumn when they first arrive from the Arctic, tired, hungry and relatively tame .... they get a bit more wary after they've been here for a few months.
ReplyDeleteThey're lovely birds aren't they Keith? Quite well camouflaged when they're hopping amongst the stones on the beach, but very striking in flight...
ReplyDeleteGreat male Bunting flight shot - perfect little jewels on a winter's day.
ReplyDeleteAdam
Hi Adam, they certainly made that afternoon rather special
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