GO WILD WITH ERIC PAYLOR
THE welcome return of the skylarks from their upland winter headquarters indicates these familiar birds are thinking about nest building.
Most of the skylarks feed on higher ground during the colder months, usually in flocks, but they are now dropping down and looking for territories on lower pastures.
I watched a skylark getting used to its new surroundings near the coast the other day, fluttering around in short flights in searching for seeds and insects.
Already some skylarks have begun making their many song flights, climbing higher and higher over a chosen territory while proving ownership with a wonderful long, liquid warbling song.
Skylarks are slightly smaller than starlings with a brown back with darker streaks, a streaked breast and a short crest which is occasionally raised.
This fine picture of a skylark was taken by Dave Pearce.
Coastal areas are definitely best to see skylarks. They are particularly common near golf courses, with Hunley Hall, Saltburn, Redcar and Seaton Carew links all skylark friendly.
There was a time when you heard skylarks singing wherever you went in our region, though numbers have dropped dramatically in the past 50 years.
This is due largely to a change in farming practices. Lately wildlife groups have been negotiating for improvements to be made to try to halt the birds’ decline.
This includes incentives for farmer to plant spring-sown crops, special grant aid and small bare patches left in cereal fields.
Man’s connection with the skylark goes back hundreds of years. The bird has inspired many poets, while the sayings “up with the larks” and “larking about” both originate from skylark folklore.
It would be tragic if the decline was allowed to continue much longer because our lives are richer upon hearing and seeing this once familiar bird.
Meanwhile Bob Barnes reports seeing a pair of bullfinches on his garden feeders.
He said: “I see bullfinches occasionally at Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park but this is a garden first for me.
“You always see a male and female bird at the same time.
“Are they increasing in numbers?”
Sadly bullfinches have been in decline like skylarks, with the loss of hedgerows blamed as the major cause, though there are still many bullfinches around in Cleveland. You may be fortunate to come across a pair during a country walk.
The male bird is particularly impressive with his rose-pink breast, grey back and black cap, while the female is a much duller version.
If you have noted any interesting or unusual wildlife sightings in and around Teesside and Cleveland lately, contact Eric on eric.paylor@ gmail.com