Skylark poised for flight and display-song A glorious June morning. Sunlit white cloud patterns the blue and a refreshing breeze trembles and shimmers drifts of cow parsley, buttercups and seeding grasses. Lark song fills the air yet the lark ascending always surprises as the bird launches from secrecy into song-flight and display. Impossible to gauge just when and where that song-flight might commence. Surprise song, then seconds to try for the photograph before the lark is high in spiralling ascent, warm tones almost translucent in sunlight, then lost in cloud.
A small brown bird perches on the top-stone of a wall, looking out over a summer pasture now cropped by the farmer. Meadow pipit, probably. The bird takes to the air and, rising, bursts into lark song. My camera catches that moment of transition into song-flight, into something ethereal. His feet poised on the sharp rock, a delicate face and angel-wings. The next image hints at the power and lift of wings that will bear him in song, higher and higher toward the cloud. Then he vanishes.
The lark, transcendent sublime on angel wings. In medieval paintings, angels have the feathered, stylized wings of birds that bear them between earth and heaven.
The lark, transcendent sublime on angel wings. In medieval paintings, angels have the feathered, stylized wings of birds that bear them between earth and heaven.
Hawthorn is particularly fine this summer. A skylark, his crest of feathers erect, sits amidst pink may blossom. Ready to impress females with his panache, his crest of feathers and his flight-song.
Meadow pipit are busy gathering insects to feed their young. I can make out a yellowy caterpillar or a grub and antennae, stuffed in a meadow pipit beak. And in the distance perhaps a lark in flight, or another pipit.
Meadow pipit are busy gathering insects to feed their young. I can make out a yellowy caterpillar or a grub and antennae, stuffed in a meadow pipit beak. And in the distance perhaps a lark in flight, or another pipit.
Larksong is everywhere on Cunswick Fell on such a beautiful day. The first fragrant orchids appear and the flowers of salad burnet, dense petals that look like seed-heads. Anthills grow thick with white bedstraw and purple thyme. Small heath butterflies are on the wing, and orange-tip. A damselfly alights on a strand of barbed-wire. What a contrast with the fragility of the insect!
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