The Saga of the Long-billed Larks

Flowers of Paternoster:

The Long-billed Lark is a geographically variable species and I have spent many hours over vast distances to track down the 5 species in this group of birds.

Yesterday we travelled up to Paternoster from Cape Town to once again look for the sparce Cape Long-billed Lark on the Columbine Peninsula. It has eluded me on countless trips along the stretch of road from Vredenburg to Paternoster.

So I was so excited to hear a calling bird as we were edging along and I got my first view of the lark as it was free falling with its loud whistling call. It then obligingly sat on the fence, calling, while Fred crept up for a photo for the blog. Such a treat when a plan comes together, we were then free to have breakfast and a walk on the beach at Paternoster, before heading off to Darling to meet the family at Evita's se Perron for lunch and a show by the iconic Pieter-Dirk Uys. Special West Coast day.....

I saw my first Long-billed Lark in the Karoo National Park in January 2001 and looking back January seems to be a auspicious date for my larks - this January the Cape Long-billed is my first new bird for 2010 and last year the Agulhas Long-billed was my first bird for 2009 while out birding with Brian and Dianne Dawes!

Looking for these larks has taken me from the Karoo National Park to the West Coast to the Agulhas plains loop to the grasslands of Wakkerstroom and to the grasslands of Nambia. It has been journey indeed. Here are some of the photos that Fred took during the Big Birding Year showing the larks which, although similar, have distinct colorations and vary in size.

Agulhas Long-billed Lark, birding with Bri and Di along the Agulhas Plains Loop, January 2009.

Karoo Long-billed Lark, this photo was taken on the road to Erongo Mountains in Namibia in April 2009 with Callan Cohen and our group from Limosa.

Eastern Long-billed Lark, birding in Wakkerstroom with Lucky, Nikki and Geoff Twomey in March 2009.

Benguella Long-billed Lark, seen on the road to the Brandberg Mountain in Namibia with Callan Cohen in April 2009.