DIARY OF A SKY LARKS NEST.

What a lovely morning, cloud and blue skies, sun smiley and fresh ... for that read breezy!

  It's the kind of weather the dog just loves for going across the moors keen-nosing the scents, white tail feathers flying behind him as he bounds through the heather. Today he disturbed two grouse, the other day four lapwings. I mention this because these two species are not a common sight in this area, but we are lucky in that we have hundreds of skylarks, so in the spring and summer the commons are full of burbling, trilling song.

  This July I had a very lucky find, a skylark flew out from almost under my feet and looking down I only just spotted the well camouflaged nest with four tiny, deep brown mottled eggs. Using my mobile phone I took a very quick photograph ... stood back and watched her return ...

Over the following week I kept a daily record of the progress, dashing in and out with the camera to take quick photo then standing well back to make sure the parent returned.

Feathers or grass? The first chick had just hatched ... 

Then on the next day all four had hatched and one was obviously hungry ...

The day after,  not to be out done by his siblings, they too wanted a share of the action ...

These were sunny, dry July days, but two grey days of cold drizzle made photography too difficult, when the sun returned so did I, they had lost their pale punk look and were feathering nicely ...

Two days later Mum, as skylarks do quite naturally to avoid predation, moved them on ...

And so an empty nest was all that was left, but it was a wonderful week caught on camera 

and apparently a very rare opportunity, so it is lovely to be able to share it with others.

 I wonder if next year, some of the skylark song I hear will come from any of those four?
                                                     It's a nice thought to end with.