Britain's Little Arctic Visitor Goes Full Circle

Guided here by the Earth’s geomagnetic field, the snow bunting is a welcome winter migrant

- Lindsay Waddell

I suspect that I was not alone in where and when I had my sightings of a snow bunting. Almost any moorland keeper or stalker who did the rounds in winter snow cover — whether stalking hinds or looking for foxes and stoats — may well have disturbed some in their winter feeding grounds. The snow bunting, or Plectrophenax nivalis, is not solely a winter visitor here, but it’s during the winter months that most people will see one.

I used to see snow buntings on edges blown almost bare of snow, where the ‘bent’ — or hard rush — was still proud of the snow and these beautiful little birds were cropping the seed capsules.

The show bunting’s camouflage is superb in snow and, though I was looking ahead, it was seldom I saw one before it moved. This was often quite close as they are relatively confident in the company of people, in keeping with many birds of the far north. Though I saw them at altitude, I’m aware from coastal birders’ reports that they are frequently seen at sea level as well, but given their white plumage they are probably safer in the snow.