A BIRD OF THE ARTS

The Yellowhammer, with its striking appearance and distinct song, has inspired many writers and musicians over the years. From poems about the bird by John Clare and Thomas Hardy, through to its song influencing Beethoven’s Fifth, the Yellowhammer has had a distinguished following. But it is the work of one children’s author in particular that is forever linked to our commonest bunting. It was Enid Blyton who popularised the phrase ‘a little bit of bread and no cheese’ to describe the song of the Yellowhammer in one of her Famous Five books,. She used it in other stories as well and in a poem about the bird. The phrase so perfectly described the bird’s song that it has become the standard way to describe it.