A bracing spring day (at last!) and a brisk amble across Farthing Downs and Happy Valley might be just the thing for a Bank Holiday Monday.
Protected species: fencing has gone up on Farthing Downs to protect skylark nests
But the rangers who look after the wildlife and habitat on Croydon’s downs and commons are asking the public to exercise a bit of care and attention as we enter the nesting season for one of the country’s most delightful birds, and red-list endangered species, the skylark.
Over on Roundshaw Downs, beside the constantly busy Purley Way, where Inside Croydon conducted a year-long photo-story in 2022, the skylarks could be heard this year on February 10 – the earliest in a completely unscientific bit of monitoring of that site going back over the past 10 years, but possibly another sign of the advance of spring and global warming.
At Farthing Downs, to help these precious ground-nesting birds prosper, the rangers working for the City of London Corporation, who oversee this special place, have put up some temporary fencing.
In a posting at the weekend, the rangers said, “Like the last few years, temporary fencing for skylarks has been put up on the top of Farthing Downs to provide room for some of these birds to nest without being disturbed during the important breeding season.
“Since we started this project, we’ve seen several pairs of skylark successfully showing signs of nesting behavior within the fenced area.
“Often heard before they are seen, the skylark is a small, streaked brown bird. The males mark their territories with an incredible long, rattling song flight before ‘parachuting’ back down to the ground.
“Between March and September, skylarks nest openly on the ground which makes them vulnerable to predators, people, and inquisitive dogs. Sadly, repeated disturbances from dogs cause the birds to abandon their nests, with any eggs then eaten by predators such as foxes and crows.” There are often large flocks of greedy magpies to be seen around skylark nest sites, too.
“Skylark numbers have massively declined in the UK (by 61% in the last 40 years) so to keep these amazing birds we can all do our bit.
“For dog owners, that includes keeping your dog under close control or, better still on a lead, even away from the enclosure as skylarks do nest across other parts of the downs too.”
Read more: Heard before they’re seen, skylarks soar back over Roundshaw
Read more: National Reserve status granted for Coulsdon’s Farthing Downs
Read more: Up on the Downs, watching for the missing signs of winter
Read more: How Coulsdon’s downland oasis is helping to save the planet
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