The Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinelle)
Spilled cattle feed is one of he favourite foods of the Yellowhammer and this is exactly what the few that I observed were eating as I shot these images. Hay had been spread out for a group of horses in a field and I was able to get these images from the edge of the field from a tree line. Seeds from the hay was the meal on offer and although easily disturbed these few birds kept returning to the field from the trees above me.
One of our resident and quite colourful species are joined in Winter by some birds from Northern Europe. The best time to see them in all there glory is Springtime when the males in particular are mostly yellow. They frequently perch on the top of hedgerows out in the countryside. However, they are still a lovely bird and a delight to see at this time.
Oh brillant shoot Roy,
ReplyDeleteThe breeding plumage is beautiful for this male.
With me, it's just the beginning.
Bravo
Kiss
Thanks Nathalie, yes they look really lovely in the Spring.
DeleteA lovely little bird to find and photograph
ReplyDeleteThanks Margaret.
DeleteGrowing up on a farm I used to take these little beauties rather for granted; they were always to be seen around our grain silos. Nowadays it's a treat to see one.
ReplyDeleteYes its not that often John. I see the occasional male perched on a hedgerow, but few and far between.
DeleteThey are so bright it's unreal, saw a specimen yesterday lit by a low sun, looked like a flying lemon!
ReplyDeleteThanks Simon.
DeleteFantastic! Lovely shots and I never thought about looking for these birds in fields with hay in them - that's many fields round here with both horses and cattle..... Haven't been bird watching for ages other than backyard but I did a bird spot whilst on the way to the supermarket (I wasn't driving!) and was really pleased to see the first lapwings this winter, a flock of some kind of thrush and a little egret flying overhead! Nice and warm kind of bird watching too. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks Mandy, yes a car makes a great bird hide moving or otherwise. I guess the Thrush types were probably Fieldfare.
DeleteDit is geweldig mooi hij is al mooi maar hier komt hij nog veel mooier tot zijn recht.
ReplyDeleteThanks Bas.
DeleteIt is a beautiful bird and you have therefore put on this very nice photo. Your last photo with the collage is also very nice to see.
ReplyDeleteThanks Helma.
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