Tuesday 13 April 2010

Another Brown Job

Last month I wondered if the new bird in the garden was a female reed bunting.  It seems I (and my commenter) was correct, she has returned and this time bought a more identifiable male along:
Traditionally reed buntings nest near water, so the logical deduction would be they are feeding in the garden and nesting at the nearby river - either on the ground or in the reed beds.  But these buntings have not only been enjoying the 'premium wild bird seed', but have been checking out the shrubs in the garden. 
The RSPB state that the reed bunting population has collapsed by 50% since 1970 with an estimated 200,000 breeding pairs in the UK. So nesting buntings either in the garden or near the river would be a welcome sight.

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