Bugger buntings

This species would be a good one to see (a Cinereous Bunting, photo courtesy of Mark Jobling), but it's rare and local in these parts. Still it might be worth a climb up Mount Ida on the off chance. The trouble with even the common buntings is that once they are out of their breeding plumage and all muxed ip wıth females and juveniles they all turn into plump little brown jobs. The Cinereous Bunting in breeding plumage is described as dull or undistinguished, so goodness knows what it is like at this time of year.