Skylark alerted

Helena and I drove to Bristol to have lunch with our good friends P. and M. and then for P and I to watch the England v. Wales rugby match.I asked Helena if she minded me stopping en route on the local Minchinhampton Common to try and get a photo pf a skylark for a blip.  I only wanted to be there for about fifteen minutes.

On arrival the wind was still and there was a thin cloud cover which the sun was trying to penetrate.  Getting out of the car presented a wonderful background of twittering skylark song which told me the air was filled with them.  Within about two minutes I had spotted the first pair walking slowly on the tufted grass selectively searching for grubs but also presenting themselves to each other in a good light.  They soon flew off and up to join the singing.  But others alighted regularly.  This bird walked along the edge of an old worked out limestone quarry pit for a few yards before flying off.  But before departed it puffed up its chest and raised the feathers on the top of its head and splayed out the long tail feathers into a fan.