BOWER

Skylark 

Once a common sound the skylarks population is sadly in decline and is marked as red in the RSPB’s population status.

The skylark’s song is a long, flowing, warbling trill that pours from the sky, sometimes lasting several minutes. Uplifting, intricate, and beautifully melodic, it has inspired poets and musicians for centuries. The male sings as he rises in a steep, fluttering climb, hovering high above the fields and filling the air with music for minutes at a time.

In Shetland, the skylark is sometimes known as the “laeverik” and its nest is considered sacred. A curse was traditionally invoked against anyone who violated its sanctity.