Put Out the Bunting

During the Summer months you'd be hard pressed to see a Reed Bunting. As their name suggests they tend to prefer to breed and roost in wetland areas and their plumage is a perfect mix of browns and blacks to enable them to blend in.

About the size of a sparrow they are having to adapt to different habitats and will now nest in drier areas and fields of crops.

In Winter though you may find them in your garden as they move onto seeds as a source of food. The male has a black head and a drooping white handlebar moustache while the female is a mix of browns with a distinctive cream highlight above their eyes.

In Spring the male will sing from the tops of bushes and trees generally close to where its bred before. The female will be responsible for building the nest low down and well hidden in the reeds or undergrowth.