Larks — nearly invisible in a sunny sky but worth listening for
Alauda arvensis — eurasian skylark: We don’t often see skylarks, the inconspicuous colouring of their plumage helps them go unnoticed when they don’t want to be seen, but we hear skylarks often, even if we don’t realise that it's skylarks we are listening to.
With summer fully underway and spells of wonderful, sunny weather, many of us are now spending as time as possible in the outdoors. And whichever habitat we venture into, there’s always a distinctive soundtrack, a unique assemblage of sounds particular to that place. Now, during May, the dawn chorus is at its peak, and in many places, there are also birds who sing throughout the day.
The skylark is one such species — an iconic bird of open farmland, renowned as an epically impressive singer. We don’t often see skylarks, the inconspicuous colouring of their plumage helps them go unnoticed when they don’t want to be seen, but we hear skylarks often, even if we don’t realise that its skylarks we are listening to. Out walking last week along Bull Island in Dublin Bay, a friend asked me about the bird singing earnestly from above that she always hears but never sees. She was chuffed to know that these are the skylarks so famous for their singing.
