Thursday 9 June 2011

Prompted by Springwatch on farmland birds

I remember when virtually every field round here was full of lapwings at certain times of the year, flying along with their big chunky squared off wings or trotting along the ground in their Beau Brummel irridescent green coats and rampnant crest.

Then I barely saw one for years but now in the fields on the outskirts of Newark you do see a few now, in small flocks less than ten or so, or on their own.

I also remember the local Clay Lane Park, as well as being populated by rough kids who would throw cricket stumps at your head (believe me it leaves a nasty old bruise) was also loaded Skylarks; they would launch themselves straight into the sky like rockets with a great skirl of song, before falling back to earth in the long grass. Although as you see from this blog plenty lives in and around this park, the park itself doesn't have a lot happening. Apart from me running across it; no chance of getting a stump in the head these days. Or a skylark, I haven't seen one since those days, 25 plus years ago.

IN OTHER NEWS - Chris Packham has been mainly rocking The Manic Street Preachers in his quotes this year, although I got the Beck referencing "Devil's Haircut" and the even more obscure "You CAn't Put Your Arms Around a Memory" by Johnny Thunders. I've asked his poodles via twitter if more daring references from perhaps The Stooges or The Dead Kennedys could be thrown in..."Chemical Warfare on our farms has reduced the number of birds found there" for example...

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