Legs aren't up to running today - after 18 miles in two days they are a bit stiff, so just headed out on my wonky bicycle. Original intention was to head to Langford Lowfields but wind was really strong and figured it would be a pain getting back. Plus the fact I wanted to get to watch the Zoncolan mountain stage of the Giro D'Italia, so we had a slightly shorter ride through Winthorpe and Langford village.
I was just enjoying the ride really. The A1113 is a wee bit busy so I wasn't really scanning the hedgerows for signs of life as cars, and horseboxes, came thundering by at 60mph, but once I'd turned off onto Holme Lane was able to take things easier and look around me more.
No choice really. The wind was right in my face so I was doing about no miles per hour, and it was a struggle. But as I turned on the road back in towards Winthorpe, past a hungry looking Staffie off the lead and unmuzzled (gave the beast plenty of room lol) I saw a fellow traveller with the same problem.
A yellowhammer, virtually three feet in front of me as I chugged along. For once, got a really good view as opposed to a quick browny yellow flash as our relative speeds were the same.
You really don't appreciate how yellow they are until you can see them this close. The back is brown with the yellow neck and rump showing, but when you get to see the neck and chest and face, they are scorchingly yellow, a hot yellow, yellower than a canry. Really really striking as it sat in a hedge watching me as I watched it, so yellow it stood out easily against a backdrop of oilseed rape.
I wished that I had bloody wings, as I manfully continued my struggle into the wind.
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