Reed Bunting in hawthorn
Emberiza schoeniclus
Reed Bunting · Stodmarsh · 2 May 2026
A male Reed Bunting working through flowering hawthorn at Stodmarsh in May, a world away from the open reedbed the name suggests. Reed buntings breed in the reeds and wet margins of the marsh, but they forage well beyond them once the season brings on a wider range of insects and seeds, and hawthorn in early May is full of both.
The black head, white collar and white moustache stripe make this a male in full breeding plumage. The female is a streaky brown bird that takes a second look to separate from a sparrow.
Birds, insects, plants and other wildlife, mostly from Brooklyn, with some from further afield.
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