Yellowhammer & Wheatear

Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella)
Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe)

Yellowhammer

This bird mainly breeds on farmland. The adult male is bright yellow in the summer, like a canary. There is a rhyme in words that describes its song which goes 'a-little-bit-of-bread-and-no-cheese'. Its name in Welsh is 'Melyn yr Eithin' which means 'yellow bird of the gorse'. As you can probably guess, the birds like to live in areas where gorse grows. Gorse flowers are yellow, a bit like the birds feathers.

Wheatear

 These are usually the first of the summer visiting birds to arrive in this country (in March). Its name comes from the old english words of 'hwit' (white) and 'aers' (rump), which means white backside. Wheatears nest in holes and used to use old rabbit holes for nesting. Like a lot of birds, in the old days people used to eat Wheatears.