A skylark preparing to go up aloft

Helena and I went to Nailsworth at lunchtime so that we could try to get our free standing light mended at a special 'repairing' service to mend products rather than throwing them away.  Bill it was who took a look at the light switch, took it apart, said it wasn't fixable and then fixed it by removing the switch enabling us to simply switch off at the power socket.  Soon after it was fixed, switched on to test it and we were away.  I asked advice about an old amplifier I have and that might be the next object we take to get fixed.

We drove back 'over the top', which meant driving up the steep escarpment and across Minchinhampton Common, the wonderful National Trust land which they maintain as traditional Cotswold grassland.  It is grazed by roaming cattle in the summer months but at present the grasses and wild flowers are beginning to grow.  I suggested parking as I wanted to get out and try and listen out for the skylarks who are resident there in the summer months and whose singing I love to hear.

Helena was happier sitting in the car reading a book while I walked a little way onto the middle of the common with camera in hand.  The wind was actually extremely strong and was whistling round my ears, but I could still hear the strains of the skylarks' songs high up above me.  I tried to locate the direction and looked up to spot them.  A kestrel swooped by, and I assumed it was hinting possibly for skylarks on the wing.

Then I spotted a skylark ascending in its characteristic way until it started to hover several hundred feet above me.  I then knew that they were close by as the singing tends to begin when they leave the ground and fly up into the sky.  So I stood still, and carefully scanned the ground in front of me in a wide arc.  Suddenly I spotted a slight movement and using my zoom I looked and spotted this skylark actually quite close to me.

I was so pleased and steadily took a lot of photos expecting it to fly off and up at any time.  But instead it slowly walked across the ground keeping close to cover where it could and running quickly when it reached more exposed ground.  At odd moments it stood still extended its body upwards and tilted its head to one side to look hight into the sky as if it had heard another skylark's song calling to it.

Finally it look upwards again, looked straight at me, because it had obviously known I was there all the time, peered upwards again and then flew off.  I managed to grab a few shots but wasn't really prepared for the sudden motion.

I was so pleased that I walked straight back to the car to tell Helena knowing that my new lens was going to provide me with more such opportunities this spring and summer to watch these delightful birds and hear their songs too.

Here is a link to the RSPB website where you can listen to a minute long recording of a skylark singing.  Wonderful, and you will then know what I mean!

I have also put a range of my other pictures in this Flickr gallery.
(The last few pictures of it on the ground and the first of it in flight were separated by just a few seconds).