The Lark in the Clear Air

After a rather trying day in the gardens, I gave myself a treat and visited the saltmarsh at Belhaven Bay, East Lothian.

As I walked down from the carpark I could hear the distant sounds of the birds; the insistent weep-weep-weep of the oystercatchers, the desolate low trill of the curlew, and above and behind it all, the song of the skylarks.

As I crossed the saltmarsh by the well made dry path I noticed a sudden flurry of movement in the grass and three LBJs, squawking and fighting leapt into the air.

I was too far away to identify the squabblers but as I got closer one rose vertically into the air, opened his stiff little beak and...

...the most wonderful sound in the world poured out of him.

Right there, he just started to sing. Right there in front of me.

I almost forgot my camera.

I almost forgot everything in the presence of such wonder.

Great wonder.