Reed Bunting – forty years ago in my nature notebooks

I’m en-route across the country when I decide to stop at RSPB Otmoor. It’s such a bright day that the sky is a glorious shade of blue.

In the trees I see a flock of Reed Buntings. As a child they were strange and exotic to me because they weren’t House Sparrows or Starlings. Forty years ago I saw one and wrote about it in my nature notebooks:

Here’s today’s photograph, with its black tail, white outer tail feathers, black or dark brown markings on its head and brown spots and streaks:

And my drawing from 40 years ago:

This male is perching beautifully in the tree for me:

And so is this, with a glorious glint in its eye: