After more than two months of searching, I was finally able to find one Lapland Longspur in our area this weekend.
Time to celebrate!
Along with Snow Buntings, the Lapland Longspur is a winter visitor to our state of Michigan. Both birds breed in the far north Arctic in Canada and Alaska.
In past winters, I’ve found Lapland Longspurs in nearby harvest cornfields, foraging with flocks of Horned Larks and Snow Buntings.
But not this year.
They can be a difficult bird to find. But this year was more challenging for me than in past years.
As it turns out, I’m not alone.
Talking with other birders, I learned they were having the same issue, wondering where the Lapland Longspurs and the Snow Buntings were.
Many fellow birders are only finding one or two Snow Buntings or Lapland Longspurs in the fields or along roads this winter.
Which is far different from the past few years, when we’ve seen small flocks of Snow Buntings, Lapland Longspurs, and Horned Larks in our area.
Anywhere from 40 to 100+ birds flying over the cornfields.
The flocks are typically mostly Horned Larks and Snow Buntings, with a few Lapland Longspurs.
Horned Larks are still in the cornfields this year.
But I’m not seeing them in large groups. Perhaps five to 10 in a group at a time.
For my readers who have Snow Buntings and Lapland Longspurs winter in their area, have you noticed a difference in their numbers this winter?
