Clouds of corn buntings

Hasn't the weather been mild? To think last week the fields were white with snow. And today temperatrues have risen to 15C!

My column in the Yorkshire Post on Saturday featured a flock of wild birds I had photographed feeding on seed heads poking through a blanket of snow.

I passed them on the school run across the Wolds. Huge numbers of corn buntings (an RSPCA red list species), linnets, bramblings, yellow hammers, even a few dozen reed buntings.

I have never seen birds in these numbers before. Their colours burst into definition as I looked through my binoculars - it was like looking through a kaleidoscope.

The farm that hosted this conservation strip has Higher Level Stewardship conservation status and had planted linseed, sunflower and millet expecially for these birds - it was certainly doing it's job and such a joy to see.