Category Archives: Longspurs and Snow Buntings

A stop at McKinley Beach this morning gave nice views of Snow Buntings. There were about 15 present and were resting on some of the rocks along the lake or on grassy areas eating seeds. It was a cold morning with temps starting out around 25 degrees but with no wind and sunny skies it was pleasant. Images were taken on November 3, 2021.

The Snow Bunting…

Snow Bunting

Binomial name: Plectrophenax nivalis

Category: Longspurs and Snow Buntings

Size: 6.75” long, 14” wing span

Weight:  1.5 oz

Note: An arctic breeder that winters in the northern US and western Canada

Getting seeds to eat…seed in bill…they really blend in well in their surroundings…

More seeds to eat…

What they eat…

On the rocks….

Beautiful bird…

Birding along the lakefront around noon in Milwaukee produced Snow Buntings at McKinley Beach. I came across 9 of them walking the area. They continually fed on grass or weeds seeds while I was present and did not move around much. Beautiful birds they are, first of the fall for me! It was a cold late morning when I was there with a good wind from the north, cloudy skies with temps around upper 30’s.

The Snow Bunting…on the rocks…

A slight wing stretch…

Eating grass seeds…

In search of grass seeds…

Eating grass seeds…

Eating grass seeds…

Just a pose…

A look to the left…beautiful feathers…

On the rocks…

Eating grass seeds…

Eating grass seeds…

Eating grass seeds…

Eating grass seeds…

Looking for more seeds to eat…

A beautiful species that blends in very well with the surroundings…

On the rocks…

One of my birding stops on Milwaukee’s lakefront produced a small flock of 3 Snow Buntings. 1st of the year for me so that was a real treat. They fed in a gravel area finding and eating grass or weed seeds. They are a stunning-beautiful bird anytime of year, and today they were just that. I hung around for awhile and took a few shots to share. A few walkers in the area flushed the Snow Buntings not knowingly but the birds returned after a few minutes and continued to eat weed or grass seeds. It was a beautiful morning out with full sun, low winds and temps in the upper 40’s at the time I was there. Images were taken on October 23, 2018.

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Binomial name: Plectrophenax nivalis

Category: Longspurs and Snow Buntings

Size: 6.75” long, 14” wing span

Weight:  1.5 oz

Note: An arctic breeder that winters in the northern US and western Canada

Snow Bunting eating seeds…

The Snow Bunting looking for seeds in the gravel…

Removing the seed from the old grass stalk…

Two of them…

Something in the bill, a seed I’m sure…

The Snow Bunting eyes up the seed on this old stalk…

Then it takes the seed and eats it…

Eating more seeds…

Looking for seeds in the gravel…

The beauty in the back…they blend in so well in their surroundings…

A little fluffed up here…

Perched pretty…

Doing some birding along the lakefront in Milwaukee this morning the highlight was a lone Snow Bunting.  Finding it on the rocks at McKinley Beach, it then moved to a stony area with little grass on high ground. It fed continually while I was there eating grass and weed seeds on the ground. Stunning bird to see and watch eat too. These birds are easily seen along roadsides on the shoulder in the gravel after snow is plowed and also in open fields I would think where ever they can find seeds or insects if they are present. It was a mild December day, with sunny skies, winds were nothing as the big lake was calm, temps got into the 50’s. Images were taken on December 3, 2017.

The Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Binomial name: Plectrophenax nivalis

Category: Longspurs and Snow Buntings

Size: 6.75” long, 14” wing span

Weight:  1.5 oz

The look back…

Looking for the seeds and there were plenty…

Getting that seed on the ground between the two tiny stones…

Seed in the bill…

Looking for seeds…

Seed in the bill…

Straight on, look at the shape of that bill…

Cracking that seed…

Eating that seed…

With a seed in the bill…

The close-up