Black-headed bunting

In my last blog I asked whether black headed bunting was even here yet because I had failed to see it. Well today all that changed. I saw plenty and one within 30 metres of my house.

male black headed bunting near my house

Granted I birded a different area today. I went to the side of the village which has the most arable cultivation whereas the last twice I have visited more natural areas. It appears the bird likes cultivated terrain but it didn't stop me seeing one on a wire very close to my house too.


My best analysis is that it has only just arrived.  

male black-headed bunting in a field of rape

If you think a black headed bunting is easy to see then I challenge you to pick one up in a field of rapeseed!

Actually the easiest birds to see were the ones on the wires. I seem to be doing some of my best birding when I look at telephone wires.  Dont forget the rollers I saw on them last week for example.

sparrow nesting on top of a telegraph pole.

The wires always have birds. Some are quite exotic and some are mundane. Every (and I mean every) telegraph pole in the village has a house sparrow nest on its top. I can only assume that they are hollow at the top.

northern wheatear

Managed to take a better picture of one of the local northern wheatear today which is above. I am reaching the conclusion it is the only one of the four wheatear species known on the Black sea coastal area which breeds near my village. I'll have to look at the drier, more steppe like areas further up the coast to find the others I think.

yet another flock of bee-eater

Although the local bee-eater are back, I am still seeing wave after wave of bee-eater flying north. Today I saw three waves in an hour and a half.

Some of them must be like the black-headed bunting here - only in the breeding place for less than three months then they go back again!