It's time for the next instalment in our regular series exploring the many and varied collective nouns used for different types of wildlife, and with our 75th anniversary rapidly approaching [it's on Monday 25 April], it's time to get the bunting out!
There are three types of bunting that regularly visit Minsmere, and several others that have occurred here. The one that you are most likely to spot is the reed bunting, which can be found here all year round. As the name suggests, they like reedbeds and marshes, but can also be found in gorse along the dunes and in nearby farmland. Male reed buntings in spring and summer are very distinctive, with their black head, white collar and streaky brown plumage. They often sit up high on a bush at this time of year, singing their soft, gentle song. Females, like many songbirds, are paler so that they can remain hidden better whilst nesting. They also have streaked brown plumage and a distinctive face pattern with pale and dark stripes. Reed bunting is also one of the species included in our beautiful new booklet challenging you to find 75 of Minsmere's key species. Copies are available from reception for £3.50
Male reed bunting (above) by Jon Evans, and female reed bunting (below) by Paul Sawer
The other bunting that is present all year round is the yellowhammer. This is a farmland and heathland bird, so at Minsmere it is best found on and around Westleton Heath, rather than around the main visitor trails.
The third species that is regularly seen here is a winter visitor that can be seen any time from late September to mid April, although is often best seen here in autumn and spring. This is the snow bunting, a species that nests on the high mountain tops of Scotland and Scandinavia and in the Arctic - as its name suggests. In winter they drop down to lower levels and occur sparsely around the UK's coasts. This female snow bunting has been extremely confiding in the dunes close to North Hide this week, although it hasn't been reported since Monday.
A handful of other species have occurred here. Lapland buntings are almost annual autumn migrants, one or two ortolan buntings have been seen, and a couple of years ago a Cretzschmar's bunting was added to the Minsmere list. Sadly there have been no records of corn buntings or cirl buntings for several decades following widespread declines across the UK.
So, what are collective nouns for buntings? I can only find one: a mural of buntings. I can't find any reference online to the origins of this term, though I suspect it has something to do with the use of bunting to decorate walls, much like a picture. It may also refer specifically to the North American painted bunting.
In a similar vein, I've come up with a few of my own, though I'm not sure whether they will catch on. A string of buntings seems particularly apt to a group of yellowhammers or corn buntings lining a fence or roadside telegraph wire - though it's been many years since I've seen such a gathering. Or how about a flag of buntings for a colourful flock of snow buntings or yellowhammers. My third suggestion is a party of buntings. After all, bunting tends to come out for parties. It's also a perfect description given that we'll be celebrating Minsmere's 75th birthday later this month.
Do you have any other suggestions for a collective noun for buntings?