Local buntings and some from Lapland

On Monday I made a determined attempt to ‘bash the patch’and see if I could find some new local birds for the year. The main objectives were a couple of over due birds firstly a cormorant which I had expected to see by now and the second target a yellow hammer which I would also expected to have seen. The yellowhammer is from the bunting family and when caught in the right light is almost magical in intensity of colour. Alas after much walking neither bird was showing despite me visiting all their favourite haunts, hopefully not a sign of things to come. I did finally catch a photograph of a very common local bird which is busy preparing nests for this years offspring and very vocal all year round.

Gleaming in the spring sunshine a Rook with its distinctive bill and bare face ideal for digging for invertebrates without…