One For Sorrow Two For Joy.....26 For?????

Now I know the old song as well as most, but anybody got any ideas what 26 Magpies are for, I thought the 17 sat in the one Ash tree was a high amount but the other 9 Magpies that were sat further down the hedgerow concluded that number.

Only a trudge around the estate today, resulting in Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Robin, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Corn Bunting, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Buzzard, Red-legged Partridge, Pheasant & Carrion Crow.

Also this rather brave Yellowhammer, the first one I've been able to photograph.

Yellowhammer

Yellowhammer