Yellow

It was a dark and windy day, and birds were few and far between. Actually, this isn't quite true: the village is bursting with winter thrushes. But there are still so many hedges and trees full of hips, haws and berries that they have their pick of places to dine, and don't yet feel the need to risk feeding close to humans. I contemplated posting a context shot - which translates as one where you didn't get close enough for a decent level of detail on the bird - of an ash tree that R said looked to have been decorated with Redwings and Fieldfares for Christmas, but in the end I preferred this (still pretty distant) Yellowhammer.

The Yellowhammer is a medium-sized bunting, a little larger than a Chaffinch, and it lives mainly on seeds, though in summer it will also take small invertebrates and larvae. In my youth they were pretty common, but since 1970 the UK population has fallen by 50%, mainly because of changes in farming practices. Their winter survival rates improve where farmers are able to leave broad, untended field margins and avoid controlling weeds with herbicides.

By the way, I've only ever once heard a Yellowhammer sing the legendary A-little-bit-of-bread-and-no-cheeese!, but it was so clear that I immediately identified the call, and ultimately tracked the bird, which I couldn't see when it first gave voice, to a bramble thicket. I was pretty smug when it turned out that I'd been correct.