Few British birds have enjoyed such mixed fortunes as the cirl bunting, Emberiza cirlus. Discovered by my ornithological hero George Montagu in 1800, near his Devon home, it extended its range across much of southern Britain, before going into sharp retreat in the 1970s.
By 1989 there were just 120 pairs – all but two in south Devon. Then, thanks to the RSPB, and especially project officer Cath Jeffs, it bounced back. Jeffs persuaded local farmers to create the right habitat for the buntings, and today there are more than 1,000 breeding pairs.
Even so, I wasn’t expecting to see them so soon after we arrived at Labrador Bay RSPB reserve, just west of Teignmouth; nor get such great views. Cirl buntings (the name comes from an Italian verb meaning “to chirp”) are both subtle and stunning: the males sport a fetching combination of moss-green, yellow, and rusty orange, with a black mask and throat, quite unlike any other British songbird.
Cirl buntings are also a sign of hope: that with effort we can turn around the fortunes of our farmland species. That is provided conservationists and farmers work together, as they have for this handsome bird.
