During last week’s cold spell large flocks of finches and buntings, including greenfinches, linnets and reed buntings, gathered where there were seeds to be found, especially on overgrown wasteland. Birds are quick to notice other birds heading off purposefully, so once such a cach? of weed seeds was found, it drew in hungry birds from ever farther afield. Some of these flocks have stayed together where the food supply has lasted, or have gone roaming off together. A particularly remarkable flock of 700 corn buntings was discovered this week in a farmer’s field at Stotfold in Bedfordshire. This farmer spreads his barley sweepings and leftovers on the field, and this must have been what attracted them. Corn buntings, which are rather like sturdy all-brown yellowhammers, are sparsely distributed in farmland now, and a flock of them as large as this seems never to have been recorded before.