Black Lark – South Stack RSPB Reserve, Anglesey, Gwynedd 3^rd June 2003

My less than successful attempt at capturing the Black Lark amidst the mad, vibrant colours of the fantastic coastal heath at South Stack, which were truly spectacular, without losing the bird. Let's call it abstract..... .

On the late afternoon of the 1st June Gillian and I were in the middle of organising and hosting an impromptu barbecue with our neighbours, Mark, Isabelle, Annabelle and Fraser Spiers, and Jimmy Menzies.

The pager alerted me to the unlikely prospect of a Black Lark at South Stack RSPB Reserve on Anglesey. The full enormity of this was slow to sink in, probably impeded from doing so by the alcohol that the barbecue involved. Nonetheless, I broached the subject with Gilly, so that at least she was appraised of the situation and my intention of going for it, if at all possible. This was not especially well received, as Gilly was aware that I was off from my hitherto intensive bird surveying the following day, and had therefore mentally allocated it for taking advantage of having both cars at home to get the overdue repair work on the Citroen ZX sorted.

Anyway, as the news finally sank in, I began to make my plans, and ‘phoned Stuart Green to see whether he was interested. Unfortunately, at the time he wasn’t, and so, as Graham Clark was away, I was faced with going for it on my own. I couldn’t be bothered trying to get someone else along by ‘phoning around or putting a message on the pager. So I reconciled myself, and also Gillian, with the idea of going for it the following morning, once I knew it was still there. I also secretly half hoped it would save me the trouble…. .

In the cold light of dawn, or at least once Gillian and the girls had departed for work / childminders, etc., news came through that it was still there, and so finally by c.09:30 I was on my way from Central Scotland to North Wales. The journey went very well (the only glitch being that Paul Pugh opted out mid-journey after I had belated asked him if he wanted to come along) and having avoided speed cameras I eventually arrived at South Stack RSPB Reserve at c.14:00-ish. The place was still congested with day-trippers and twitchers, but I eventually managed to park up at the upper car-park. Having loaded up my kit, I made a half-hearted attempt at sorting out a permit, and then set off further along the road, as birders appeared to be mainly that way. Once I had caught up with some I asked where the bird was, and they pointed back at a still large gallery on the coastal heath back beyond the upper car-park! I yomped back towards it, and relieved some of my pre-tick stress by emptying my bursting bladder as I walked along the coastal path towards the twitch itself.

Some of the first birders I encountered as I reached the twitch were photographers, including George Reszeter and Steve Young. I briefly chatted to Steve, and then excused myself, saying that I had better go and see the bird as I hadn’t yet seen it. He cheerily remarked that I’d better go and see it giving poor views at some distance, like it had for the past three hours! Anyway, undaunted, I continued on and my well-timed run came into its’ own. As I reached the gallery there was suddenly a flurry of excitement as the bird as the bird moved from its’ previous difficult to see location onto a tumbledown wall. It briefly perched in a reasonably prominent place, although not prominent enough for some. I got on it quickly with the ‘scope, and then gave directions to some of the less fortunate, so I was able to get my first glimpses relatively easily and almost immediately. Then it flew again, giving brief flight views as it returned to the burnt coastal heathland area where it was much easier to see. It showed here for the rest of my stay, feeding amongst the extremely colourful birds’ foot trefoil, tormentil, thyme, sea squill, thrift, etc., against the burnt black heathland soils. It typically scuttled about, and occasionally actively chased invertebrate prey, and generally performed exceptionally well.

Apart from slight problems when one of the RSPB wardens tried to reduce coastal path traffic, and when excited birders tried to make the most of the reappearance of the Ortolan Bunting, the ambience was relaxed. I was therefore able to make sure that I suitably enjoyed the bird. It was a stunning looking, dark charcoal black, large-headed, pale-fringed lark, Calandra / Bimaculated –like in shape and size. It was deceptively Starling like at first glance, because of its’ size and appearance whilst on the brief flight views it was somewhat reminiscent of a cowbird.

Its bill was slightly pinkish light grey, with an apparent darker tip and cutting edge, although this may have been discolouration due to the burnt habitat within which it was feeding. The bill was heavy based and pointed with a larger upper mandible than the lower, perhaps most like that of a Corn Bunting. The bird had a somewhat comic overall appearance. The plumage was matt black with some pale-fringed scapulars and coverts, more prominent on the left wing than on the right.

Black Lark, South Stack, Anglesey June 2003 (photograph attributed to Mike Malpass).