Skylarking on Minchinhampton Common

We both wanted to get out of the house today, but neither of us fancied a long walk. So we drove up to Minchinhampton Common where we knew we could amble about if we wanted to, and also just loll on the wide open spaces of these old common lands.

We got there about midday and parked close to Tom Long's Post near the centre of the common, where the old roads all meet. It is a traditional gathering point and today a few people were flying kites which looked wonderful set against the deep blue sky. We walked near to the kites and laid a blanket down in the lee of a bank to keep the cool breeze off us. Helena was intent on finishing her book, whilst I had skylarks in mind.

Skylarks have the most wonderful songs and are regularly heard on this common. I love to listen to their varied songs, but spotting them is quite difficult. Today we could hear them intermittently at first, high up in the sky, and gradually I learnt to pick out their song from the chatter of people playing on the common and the sound of planes flying. There is a gliding club only a couple of miles away and the gliders are towed into the air by a small plane, which was constantly busy climbing up through the air and releasing the gliders right above us, before flying away to repeat the process.

Dogs were being exercised, lovers of all ages walked hand in hand, children screeched with joy and others tried to fly kites, catch balls and throw frisbees. I lay on the blanket and occasionally took a few pictures of the scene. But all the time I was trying to work out how I could spot the skylarks flying in the air and then maybe see them on the ground. It seemed that they must be flying right by the kites from the direction of their songs.

Then suddenly I spotted one skylark in the air flying away from us a few hundred yards away. My lens isn't very long so getting any shots was going to be difficult especially when they were high in the sky. Then I saw another, and then a pair, and I realised I was becoming more aware of where to look. I also began to notice the changes in their song and realised that I could tell the end of a tune, after which a small period of silence would occur as the bird flew back down to earth. I think they only sing once they have taken to the air and are at least twenty feet up, at which point they rapidly rise nearly vertically and begin to hover as they sing louder and louder. On the way down they then become silent and drop in several stages in order to approach the ground, above which they hover for a few seconds before finding their spot to land.

On finally seeing one of the skylarks descend to the ground, I got up quickly and whilst trying to keep my eye on the exact point of its landing, I walked quickly across the common for about two hundred yards. Then the bird took off, disturbed by my approach, but it only flew about thirty yards away and I carried on towards its new position. I was then more careful in my approach and finally saw it sitting in a small depression on the grass beautifully camouflaged with only its beady eye moving. Now I had my camera ready and from then on I managed to get a variety of shots.

It took off, the shot of which I have blipped, and then its mate also immediately joined it and together they flew past the cars driving near Tom Long's Post and circled round before starting to sing as they climbed above me. By this time I was pointing the lens nearly into the sun and wasn't sure whether I could retain focus and just hoped for the best. I'm pleased with the results but wish I had a longer lens. I'm going to come back on a quieter day with a tripod and sit quietly amongst in this area and see what I can get. I might even use the video function and record their songs.

Have a look at a larger view.

I have put a few pictures from this afternoon, with several skylarks featured, on this Flickr gallery.