The Yellowhammer
by John Clare (1793-1864)
When shall I see the white thorn leaves agen
And yellowhammers gath’ring the dry bents
By the dyke side on stilly moor or fen
Feathered wi love and natures good intents
Rude is the nest this Architect invents
Rural the place wi cart ruts by dyke side
Dead grass, horse hair and downy headed bents
Tied to dead thistles she doth well provide
Close to a hill o’ ants where cowslips bloom
And shed o’er meadows far their sweet perfume
In early Spring when winds blow chilly cold
The yellowhammer trailing grass will come
To fix a place and choose an early home
With yellow breast and head of solid gold.
Cornell's photos and words 
I enjoyed the picture and the poem. Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Have you seen lately any yellowhammer on your rides?
Not this year. I saw some a couple of years ago or so but not since then.
Lovely post and photo, Cornel 🙂
Thank you very much.
I am curious to know if you do you have yellowhammers in your area?
Your Yellowhammers look similar to our Yellow Warblers. We do have the Northern Flicker, the state bird for Alabama. It is a large, brown woodpecker that Alabama nicknamed ‘yellowhammer’ from its yellow-shaft of the wings only seen when they fly. So we only have a bird nick-named yellowhammer. Thanks for asking, I learned something myself! 🙂
Yellow Warblers seems to me to be very small but beautiful.
Thank you for your reply.
Beautiful bird and the photo as well. 🙂
Thank you for stopping by.
Glad you like them.
Do you have yellowhammers there in India?
Yes, we do have. 🙂
Check here: http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?Bird_ID=1909&Bird_Image_ID=15408&p=4
A great photo of the yellowhammer, and a wonderful poem to go with it!
Thank you.
More photos to come.
🙂
Do you have yellowhammers in your area?
I hadn’t read that poem before, Cornel – lovely! Beautiful photo as well.
Last night I found it. It seems John Clare wrote two poem about Yellowhammers. And I also found one written by Thomas Hardy.
I am glad you like this photo.
Thank you.
Such a wonderful fusion of poetry and beautiful imagery.
Thank you. Glad you like it.