Hark! Hark! The Lark

“Hark! Hark! The lark at heaven’s gate sings,

And Phoebus ‘gins arise,

His steeds to water at those springs

On chalic’d flowers that lies;

And winking Mary-buds begin

To ope their golden eyes;

With everything that pretty is,

My lady sweet, arise:

Arise, arise!

Poem by William Shakespeare

How cool is that?  I’m just outside of Victoria walking through the furrowed fields watching seven Skylarks fly over.  It’s sunny today and they’re putting on quite a show.  One is actually fluttering five feet above the ground.  William Shakespeare  actually wrote about this seductive singer. Wow.

Romeo and Juliet

Act 3, Scene 5

JULIET

Wilt thou be gone? It is not yet near day.

It was the nightingale, and not the lark,

That pierced the fearful hollow of thine ear.

Nightly she sings on yon pomegranate tree.

Believe me, love, it was the nightingale.

Ann Nightingale from Victoria, BC that is. I was concerned about the Skylark.  Which fields are they in?  Can you walk in the fields?  You can imagine.  Deanna Campbell from Calgary, who was one of my cabin mates on Larry Manfredi’s boat trip to the Dry Tortugas, put out the word that I needed help. Ann Nightingale fluttered in to the rescue. Her generous hospitality was greatly appreciated. Ann and Rick Schortinghuis walked the fields with me this morning.

Rick and I Walking the Fields (Photo by Ann Nightingale)

Rick actually had scouted this particular field before our arrival and had heard some Skylarks calling.  It was a thoroughly enjoyable morning that also included a Pacific Chorus Frog, a Garter Snake that Ann found and plenty of new birds for my Canadian list.

Ann With a Grater Snake (Photo by John Vanderpoel)

Thank you so much Ann and Rick.  I now sit at 724 species. Tomorrow moorning its an early flight from Victoria to San Diego.  A 13-hour pelagic trip on Saturday is next up.  Stay tuned.