Yellowhammers???

[mickledore]

Up here in the frozen north I've started seeing a group - maybe 10 or so - of yellowhammers. They are in hedgerows alongside a cycle path built on a disused railway. I see them every time I go down that stretch so they must be resident down there.
I thought they were a mainly southern species whose numbers were in decline.
Am I seeing something unusual, or are they recovering?

 

[gramps]

They are resident year-round in a large part of the UK including the North.

 

[mickledore]

Thanks. I thought they were somewhat rare and was surprised to see them this far north.

 

[gramps]

Yellowhammer distribution:

 

[mickledore]

Assuming green is go then they are far more widespread than my books say.
Thank you.

 

[Mick616]

we also had a group of 8 or 10 at the bird feeders in the garden this year, first time ever

 

[GeeJay57]

Their range is widespread, but they are on the Red list for conservation status. Nowhere near as common as they were when I was a nipper.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/yellowhammer
https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/uk-conservation-status-explained/

 

[The W]

The most recent BTO maps are the best source for distribution insights...
https://app.bto.org/mapstore/StoreServlet?id=514

Click the maps tab for more options. Relative abundance is my preferred style.