Snow Buntings at Landguard Point

24th January 2026

Four Snow Buntings were reported on the back beach at Landguard Point on the 2nd January, and three have been present ever since so time for a visit. I normally come to Landguard in the spring and autumn for migrants so it was a bit odd to walk across the greensward with just a couple of Blackbirds, two Robins and a calling Dunnock. Not even a single Linnet or pipit, although I did eventually find a pair of Pied Wagtails.

I did have a quick look at the jetty just in case the Purple Sandpiper was present but no luck, just a couple of Ringed Plovers.

So where are the three Snow Buntings? Well, the back beach is very long stretching from the cafe to the jetty and is very wide in places. This is not helped by the fact that Snow Buntings are very well camouflaged against gravel and tide wrack, and will not fly until you almost tread on them. In these circumstances it is recommended to switch from bird-watching mode to people-watching mode, and I soon spotted three photographers lying on their fronts on the beach pointing their cameras at something just 10 yards away. That's the spot!!!

I made my way carefully over there and started clicking away. Of the three birds present two were females and one a male. The females are generally duller and have darker heads and brown on the flanks.

Males, however, have much paler heads, are pure white underneath apart from a narrow breast band, and have pure white flanks.

WOW, what a great way to spend an hour and now on to Mistley for the high tide roost.