Lapland Bunting, Weybourne – 10th March 2015

Following several reports on the NENBC website of Lapland Bunting, on the cliff tops at Webourne, I was up early this morning to go ‘bunting hunting’! Starting at the coastguard cottages, I walked slowly east along the edge of the newly drilled field. I hadn’t gone more than fifty yards when a fabulous male, near summer plumage, Snow Bunting flew down on to the field – great views but too far away to photograph. Several Skylark, Meadow Pipit and Linnet kept dropping on to the bare earth in the near distance, keeping me on my toes, but no sign of Lapland Bunting by the end of the first field. However, half way along the next, two darker looking birds flew up and then briefly dropped down close to where I was stood. A number of birds, including Skylark just to add to the confusion, then flew up, with several birds flying east and four heading across the field, in the direction of coastguard cottages. They landed someway into the field but I could immediately see they were Lapland Bunting – three female types and a winter plumage male, beginning to darken around the chest. Slightly distant for good photos but very nice nonetheless.

A few more shots: