Larking about

For the past few weeks I have been taking the dogs out for a late evening walk down a series of farm tracks in Gamlingay, near where I had the Hen Harrier in the winter. Whilst failing to hear Quail I have noticed up to 3 family parties of Skylarks roosting on one particular favoured track. So last night with a bit of preparation I placed a low net across the track at one end and then almost at dark drove along the track chivvying the birds towards the hidden net. Manged to catch three birds. Not that many Skylarks are caught and ringed in the UK and in a matter of days this little technique will fail as the fields on both sides of the track will be cut and I guess the birds will roost in the fields or at least flush off the track in that direction. All three individuals were recently fledged juveniles, although in a few weeks time it will be far harder to tell as both adults and juveniles go through a complete moult from late July. Maybe try it again in a few nights time.