Snow bunting and Greenland wheatear in Northern Ireland - Photos

October 2012. Christine Cassidy, an avid birder from Northern Ireland, has sent us these great images of a couple of unusual birds that she has recently spotted. 

The snow bunting was at Magilligan about a week ago (23rd October). Snow buntings breed in the Arctic and migrate south for winter, though a few pairs do breed in the UK, so they are occasionally seen in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Northern and Eastern England in the winter months.

Greenland wheatears breed in Canada, Greenland and Iceland, and undertake one of the toughest journeys of any small bird as they migrate to West Africa for the winter. Christine spotted two birds at Ballykelly. 

Photos:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/snow-bunting.html