Lapland Bunting - a bird overlooked

This month so far has had a good selection of rare birds,but one in particular this has been a very good month to see them. Usually Lapland Buntings are very scarce in Northern Ireland and over the last ten years very few have been recorded,but this month there has been quite a few around, Ramore Head has had at least 4 birds seen regular there over the last few weeks, Kearney on the Co.Down coast has had up to 3 birds and there has even been one reported from Co.Fermanagh.Elsewhere Shetlands have had up to 200 birds and even Tacumshin in Co. Wexford have had a couple. The problem is of course they are hard to see on the ground,once they feed in tussocks and ploughed fields they tend to disappear from sight, so getting to know the diagnostic call is vital when the birds are in the air, if your are lucky enough to see them on the deck they do look quite distinctive(see above photo) They do tend to be recorded generally from coastal areas, one thing we certainly aren't short of in Northern Ireland, so this autumn and winter keep looking and more importantly listening out for this attractive bunting.