Nature notes

Skylarks spend much of their lives on the ground. They nest on the ground. They sleep on the ground. They feed on the ground — snatching grain, seeds, weed leaves and a wide range of invertebrates. Their plumage of beige and darker browns has evolved to make them blend in with the ground level: clods of earth, sand dunes, withered vegetation on steppes and stubble fields. During spring and summer, however, the male skylark eschews terra firma. While singing his famous song, he lifts vertically and often doesn’t stop until he’s reached the dizzying heights. The top recorded altitude of a singing skylark was 223 metres. These vertiginous song flights commonly last half an hour. Jonathan Tulloch