Snow Bunting in the Snow

Ronald Zigler

This was the first time I have observed and photographed this species. There was a large flock of at least 20 of these birds flying around the snow covered campground of Salisbury Beach State Park in Salisbury, Massachusetts. I was not having much luck until I noticed a small crowd of photographers around my parked car. Apparently, someone had dumped some cracked corn on the ground and these birds would periodically land, feed for a little while, fly away and then return. Using my car as a blind, I was able to capture this image from a few feet away. While not “breeding” plumage, this is one of the few birds whose non-breeding plumage is nonetheless quite attractive.