(plectrophenax nivalis)
The Snow Bunting breeds in the high alpine habitat of northern Europe and on open treeless moors and tundra. A very small number breed in Scotland. It winters along seashores and on open coastal pasture. In Scotland in most winters there will be a few small flocks feeding among the sand dunes of places like St Andrews and Dunbar. On our third day on Fair Isle we were suddenly aware that there were Snow Buntings about - lots of them.
However nothing could have prepared us for the sight which we encountered at Skaw on Unst - the most northerly habitation in the UK. There was a flock of at least 1000 Snow Buntings restlessly moving about the fields by the farm - a blizzard of Snow Buntings. No photograph can really convey the sight of the flock swirling about the hillside and I certainly did not catch the moment when a Merlin shot into the flock and picked off an unfortunate individual. Several birds conveniently perched up on the scrap farm machinery and tree stumps giving good photo opportunities.