There is something very special about the skylark with its wonderful exultant songflight.

William Shakespeare certainly recognised this and loved his early morning songster, so much so that the bird features in many of his plays and poems.

Notable among numerous poets celebrating the skylark were William Wordsworth, John Clare, Gerald Manley Hopkins and Percy  Shelly, the latter famous for his 'Hail to thee blythe spirit'.

Then, sitting always at  or near the top of the classical music hit parade is 'lark ascending' by Ralph Vaughan Williams,  Indeed, along with the nightingale, the bird appears in more literature and verse than any other.

On a warm sunny April afternoon I walked in the wide open spaces of Bushy park intent on listening to skylarks and within a few minutes I heard two singing in the distance, but scanning the skies could not locate them. However, these larks were not ascending but singing on the ground as they sometimes do.

Walking strictly along a well marked path for being ground nesters, the birds suffer enough disturbance from loose inquisitive dogs, I pinpointed one bird and walked slowly towards it.

Suddenly, about forty feet ahead  the lark hopped up onto a prominent grass tussock in the rough sward close to the  path. I stopped and from a  distance took photographs (pictured) as it moved around.

Such a beautiful bird with basically brown plumage that seemed to glow almost golden in the sunshine. And wow.......that sublime song.