Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra)

Crouched low along the edge of the rapeseed field, I tracked the whinchat through the telephoto lens as it favored the highest stalks to survey for passing insects. The dry scent of pollen hung in the morning heat. I dialed down the exposure slightly to preserve the fragile plumage against the flare of yellow, holding still until the bird turned its pale supercilium toward the sun and snapped the shutter in a single quiet burst.