Building delay call to save skylarks

Its bubbling trill has brought delight to generations of bird lovers – but the song of the "iconic" songbird could soon be silenced in the Black Country, it is feared.

The tuneful little bird's last breeding ground in the region is under threat from a development planned for the Coombeswood green wedge in Halesowen, campaigners say.

Every year the wildlife haven attracts walkers and nature enthusiasts who flock to admire the abundance of floral and fauna.

But with development work due to commence on the site, concerns are growing about the future of the much-loved skylark.

John Ebrey who is a surveyor for the British Trust for Ornithology, says the work by Birmingham-based property developers St Modwen will destroy the skylark's last remaining breeding site in the whole of the urban Black Country.

He is calling on Dudley Council to prevent St Modwen from starting work on a new sports and social club until October 2010 to give the skylark another year of uninterrupted breeding.

In a letter to the council Mr Ebrey, of Beech Avenue, Quinton, said: "The status of the skylark in your borough and the Black Country generally is of very great concern to many.

"We believe that there is now very little opportunity remaining for preserving a viable population in our area except at Coombeswood."

Council spokesman Kate Arnold said: "St Modwen Properties plc have been granted planning permission to undertake work at Coombeswood with a condition that developers must comply with the nature conservation, mitigation and enhancement plan, which protects wildlife in the area.