Hundreds of skylarks

[mattymeischke]

For a while, I have been looking for some skylarks.
Thanks to a fellow aff member, I have the number of a bloke who has some wild-caught ones, but I had been hoping to find some captive-bred stock.

On Saturday night, my old mate and I went for a walk. We went east out the front gate and decided to see how far we'd get.

We camped after 12 km on the escarpment overlooking Lake George.

escarpment camp.JPG

In the morning, it was evident that the lake was lakier than usual, insofar as it has lots of water in it.

Lake George looking lakey.JPG

After walking down the escarpment, we got about 4km further east before the ground began to turn soggy, and little soaks and runnels of water were appearing around us. We paused on a dry patch and took off our packs, then lay on our backs as we considered our situation.

Lake George - skylark heaven.JPG

Above our heads, perhaps 30m, a skylark was outlined against the blue sky, singing his heart out for some minutes.
Slowly we realised that there was hundreds of them there, singing and fighting, you could say skylarking...

So, does anyone have any tips on how to catch skylarks, and when it is best done?

[Lukec]

Where and how are they feeding in this area?

[finches247]

Would a large bird trap work baited with there favourite food work.

[Mortisha]

when I was a kid I use to always find their nest by just waiting for the skylarking to finished. When they dropped to the ground it usually wasn't far from their nests in a clump of grass or tussock. Might be a way of finding some young before they fledge -they would settle into captivity easier.

[Tintola]

I'll put an order in for a pair, thanks Matty.

[mattymeischke]

Where and how are they feeding in this area?

The lake, after being mostly dry since I was a kid, has had some amount of water in it for the last few years.
It rises and disappears quite mysteriously, as many will no doubt be aware, regardless of whether rain falls or not, and was very full about eight months ago, then briefly about four months ago.
The skylarks are feeding where the water has most recently retreated, especially around little sinks and other small isolated pockets of water.
We watched them a while; they took wriggly things from the shady side of innundated tussocks.
They seemed to be squabbling over territories.

Would a large bird trap work baited with there favourite food work.

I'm not sure how to catch or feed the wriggly things.
I was thinking either:
(a) find a nest and set a net trap I have over it, then trigger it at a distance when the parent returns.
or
(b) set a trap with either an iphone with a skylark call or a trapped skylark for a lure (assuming I get one by (a) above).

I don't think it will be as easily done as said.

when I was a kid I use to always find their nest by just waiting for the skylarking to finished. When they dropped to the ground it usually wasn't far from their nests in a clump of grass or tussock.

I'd remembered something you had written in an earlier post about this, so I waited for them to descend then went straight towards them. I found no nests. Often we flushed pairs as we walked, but I found no nests where they flushed.
I think I will go back in two or three weeks and see how they are getting along.

Might be a way of finding some young before they fledge -they would settle into captivity easier.

Indeed. By the abundance we saw I have reason to hope there will be alot of nests in due course, and they are said to triple-clutch.

I'll put an order in for a pair, thanks Matty.

No worries. If I can get a pair, I can get a few; I'll let you know how I go.

[stephstar]

Why would u want to put a wild bird in captivity?? Birds bred in captivity is one thing but why cage something that's wild and free ??

[mattymeischke]

A totally understandable sentiment that any bird lover would understand.
But the only ones I can get would be wild caught, perhaps from a quite different climate.
About 90 % of the wild and free ones will die in the wild from natural predation, starvation or exposure.
I could argue that they are a feral, introduced bird, taking over the dwindling natural habitat for painted and little button quail among countless others, but that would be disingenuous, as that is not why I intend to catch them.

Why would u want to keep a wild bird in captivity??

The same reasons as many of us, I guess: to observe, enjoy and hopefully breed them.

[stephstar]

Still grumpy

[west finch]

that”s cool Matty go for it . Wish I was there to see them in the wild.