Bunting types

Dave R · #1 (**permalink**) 28-12-2011, 07:23 PM

Need some help with Buntings. These were on Lincolnshire coast, pictures not very good, even less now they've been reduced in size. Hoping for Snow or Lapland in here but expecting all Reed! Over to the experts.

bigdave60dog · #2 (**permalink**) 28-12-2011, 07:34 PM

I reckon that there may be few Lapland among these. I regularly get them in my garden. There is pale type that we get. You may have a few of these. No definite Snow Buntings though. But they are a bit small for my eyes.
Dave

tigertom · #3 (**permalink**) 28-12-2011, 07:44 PM

From what I can see think they are all reed buntings, no snow buntings and dont think there are any lapland bunting either.

MIKE

Shrike · #4 (**permalink**) 28-12-2011, 08:18 PM

Look more like linnet or twite to me , difficult to be sure though.

Anomalous · #5 (**permalink**) 28-12-2011, 09:17 PM

No Linnet or Twite in there. They all look like Buntings (not Snow, though), but there just is not enough detail to get a certain identification. Not for me, anyway...

Ian

RoyW · #6 (**permalink**) 29-12-2011, 01:08 AM

I reckon that most, if not all, of the birds in these photos look like Skylarks.

Anomalous · #7 (**permalink**) 29-12-2011, 06:49 AM

That was my first thought...then I persuaded myself otherwise! You may be right.

bigdave60dog · #8 (**permalink**) 29-12-2011, 09:51 AM

As I said before they are bit small to pick out detail. However by virtue of the place that I live I am quite familiar with Snow and Lapland Buntings.(More so than Reed Buntings in fact)
If I saw these at that distance I would not expect them to be anything other than Lapland and Snow Buntings.
Dave

RoyW · #9 (**permalink**) 29-12-2011, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigdave60dog

As I said before they are bit small to pick out detail. However by virtue of the place that I live I am quite familiar with Snow and Lapland Buntings.(More so than Reed Buntings in fact)
If I saw these at that distance I would not expect them to be anything other than Lapland and Snow Buntings.
Dave

and if I saw these on the Lincolnshire coast (or on the Norfolk, Suffolk, or any other coast), and could see no more detail than the amount visible in the photos, I would think it highly likely that they would turn out to be a flock of Skylarks (possibly including some Reed Buntings or other species). There is not one bird in the photo that shows a single visible feature that would suggest Snow or Lapland Bunting should be considered in this case I'm afraid - of course that doesn't mean that there wasn't one or the other with the flock if you had obtained better views/photos.