On my recent visit to Eye Green LNR I was greeted by a joyous sound. All around me was the sound of `jangling keys`, the song of the Corn Bunting. This bird has had an horrendous time just lately with numbers thought to be 85% less than 25 years ago, although in Peterborough we are fortunate to have a fairly healthy population. It was a wonderful sight to see and hear at least 40 of these chunky buntings that were in a mixed flock which included Reed Buntings and Yellowhammers.
I envy you and your sightings John. We get nothing like that in Sussex.
ReplyDeleteHi Mike,
ReplyDeleteDon`t envy me too much, we don`t get Paddyfield Warblers in our neck of the woods. ;)
It is a shame that this once extremely common bird is now so rare in certain parts of the country, a sobering thought.
J
I'd love to see these birds. Never seen them before.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a child and lived in Buckinghamshire, close to Winslow there were flocks of them in the fields opposite our house, now they are all gone. They really are in a sorry decline, mostly due to our farming practices now, that and the fact we seem to be building on every bit of available land!
DeleteJ
Hi John...They remind me alot of our female house finches.. they must sound similiar to wind chimes!!
ReplyDeleteGood for you ..looks like some people are a little envious of your find ; }!!
Grace
Hi Grace,
DeleteThey have a lovely `jingle jangle` song that is supposed to sound like the jangling of keys, but I suppose it could sound like wind chimes!?
I don`t know about envious, I think people are just sad that this once common bird is limited to certain areas in our country.
J
Great patterns on those little guys! Nice shots, John!
ReplyDeleteHi Gary,
DeleteThank you. A lot of people dismiss them as LBJ`s (Little Brown Jobs), but I think they are exquisite birds, much underrated.
J
Nice set of shots.
ReplyDeleteThanks Marc, too kind.
DeleteJ
The only time I get to see this species is on trips to Norfolk.
ReplyDeleteIt is a sign of our times Frank that we have to make trips to see these once common birds, an extremely sad sign.
DeleteJ
Gorgeous sighting and photos!
ReplyDeleteThank you Tammy, too kind.
DeleteJ
An amazing sight and you took some great shots under the conditions John.
ReplyDeleteHi Roy,
DeleteThank you. Yes, I just wish that the sun had come out, just for a bit! ;)
J
What exquisite photos! And jangling keys--what an interesting sound they must make.
ReplyDeleteHi Susan,
DeleteThank you. Yes, their song is so unique, it lightens the heart when you hear it in large numbers.
J
Wonderful images John... It's a lovely little bird I can't claim to have see.
ReplyDeleteHi Andrew,
DeleteThank you. It`s a bird that is getting increasingly hard to see in all parts of the country now.
J
Hi John. I have to say that I find small brown birds the most difficult to identify. Any pointers? All help appreciated!
ReplyDeleteClick here for Bazza’s Blog ‘To Discover Ice’
Hi Bazza,
DeleteLBJ`s (Little Brown Jobs) are always difficult to I.D. but one good way to start is by learning their songs and calls. You can get various c.d.`s with bird calls on, don`t worry about the scarcer birds, but get one with the basics on. Other ways to I.D. are, when you see the bird make a note of plumage details, even a `brown` bird has different markings on different parts of its body; make a rough sketch detailing plumage colour/markings etc; get yourself a good field guide, the best is Collins Bird Guide 2nd edition, it`s black with a Tern on the front, this will give you a guide to what various feathers are called, giving you a better chance of noting what colour is where; finally, the only way to get better is to keep getting out and seeing the birds, the more you see them, the more familiar they become.
Hope this helps.
J
Just don't hear enough of those jangling keys for my liking John
ReplyDeleteI completely agree Jerry, far too scarce these days!
DeleteJ
These are truly iconic farmland birds and one of my favourites.
ReplyDeleteRegards
Tony Powell
Hello Tony,
DeleteMany thanks for the visit and the comment. They are the epitome of farmland, but unfortunately getting far too rare.
J