Thursday, March 26, 2009

Up with the Larks

One useful bit of equipment for photographing wildlife is a good alarm clock, although I always seem to wake up well before the early hour mine is set to go off. Its great feeling to be out at first light on a spring dawn, with the sun rising and the clear air filled with bird song. On one such recent morning I headed out locally to photograph some skylarks and was back home by the time most people were just rising to their morning weekend newspaper.
Photobucket

What these birds lack in the way of bright colours they certainly make up with character and a facinating species to watch at close quarters.
Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

After a song flight, they often land on fencing surrounding the field , and often continue to posture, display and call.
Photobucket

However, surely these birds at at their best in their ascending flights accompanied by that liquid song. A reminder that spring is here, even if the weather often forgets it!
Photobucket

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Great sequence of shots, well worth getting up before dawn.

I've never seen one, I remember my Granddad, who used to work on a farm, telling me he used to see them all the time.

Paul.

Anonymous said...

Hi Richard, exquisite photos of the skylarks, and everything else on your site. I am looking forward to the jay flight pics.

FAB said...

Stunning close ups Rich & worth the effort. I'm still finding it difficult to respond positively to the early alarm (just to go to work) but maybe the hope of calmer spring weather & connecting with returning 'friends' will change my lethargy!

myonlyphoto said...

Richard these are excellent portrait style photos of the birds, so much detail, and I love the one in flight. Very nice blog you have. Anna :)

Unknown said...

Fantastic series on the crested skylark Rich. You have motivated me to do a similar series on the Indian crested lark. Maybe I will do one this month itself. Will keep you posted. Thanks for sharing these exceptional quality images.

Rich Steel said...

Thanks for your comments. Skylarks are always a bird that evoke childhood summer memories of lying in some long grass on a warm sunny day and looking at the birds ascending high in to the blue sky. Sadly a sight that is less common now in the UK countryside.

Cheers

Rich

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails