It almost looks as if a relatively boring-looking bird has been dipped head-first into a pot of yellow paint. They are predominantly seed eaters, although during the summer months, the diet, especially of young birds, will also include invertebrates such as caterpillars, spiders, beetles and worms. Yellowhammers feature strongly in culture and folklore, perhaps unsurprisingly for a species that must have been fairly common in pre-industrial times. The title of Burns’ poem 'The Yellow, Yellow Yorlin' is based on an old Scottish name for the bird. Despite these issues, the yellowhammer remains a relatively common sight, and sound, around the rural areas of East Lothian.