Some folks think of meadowlarks strictly as spring and summer birds but around here they can also be snowbirds.
1/4000, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
I photographed this Western Meadowlark at Farmington Bay WMA almost exactly five years ago, on December 18, 2015. A recent heavy snowstorm had turned the landscape into a winter wonderland so when the sun came out that morning everything was squeaky clean and sparkling. The meadowlark had been sunning itself on top of some snow-covered vegetation and not long before takeoff I caught ‘him’ performing a wing stretch.
I love the juxtaposition of his bright and cheery colors amongst all the mounds of snow.
Western Meadowlark range map: Creative commons, By Cephas
The line between their summer/breeding range and their year-round range runs almost through my back yard so in years when winters aren’t severe I can see Western Meadowlarks all year long. I live at the south end of the Great Salt Lake in northern Utah – the lake is clearly defined on this Western Meadowlark range map.
When I lived on the family farm in Montana meadowlarks were one of our most numerous late spring and summer birds and everybody up there seems to love their sweet, flute-like warbled song and cheery colors. In fact the Western Meadowlark is the MT state bird but up there meadowlarks are smart enough to get the hell out of Dodge before the snow flies. So we’d never, ever see a single meadowlark during the long and frigid winter months.
And that’s a big part of the reason it was a real treat for me to find this feathered bundle of sunshine on top of the snow at Farmington that morning.
Ron
Notes:
The Western Meadowlark is the state bird of six states: Montana, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, and Wyoming. Only the Northern Cardinal is a more popular civic symbol, edging out the Western Meadowlark by one state.
On the other hand the state bird of Utah is the California Gull, chosen for religious reasons (the “miracle of the gulls“) in spite of the fact that the California Gull is named after another state and the so-called “miracle of the gulls” wasn’t remarkable at all (see the ‘historical review’ in the provided link).
Leave it to Utah…
WHAT? The legend of the gulls isn’t? That was one of my favorite things to learn when I lived in SLC! Dang it.
Love the bright pop of yellow amid the crisp, white snow!
Thanks, Marty.
Wonderful shot. I love their song. I
Thanks, Jean.
What a gorgeous photo of a wonderful songbird — they always bring a smile to my face, though I don’t see them here very often for some reason. My dad’s favorite bird — he grew up on the Saskatchewan prairie where they were in abundance — so when I hear their cheerful song, he immediately comes to mind.
Thank you, Chris. I’ve spent a lot of time on the Montana and Alberta prairies and meadowlarks are abundant there too.
It is a wonderful photo. On my recent ride around the dike of Willard Bay, I was surprised by how many meadowlarks I flushed, especially on the lower road on the wetland side. It was 18 degrees that morning, no snow but the bay water was frozen over in the natural bay. I hope these next few storms will leave us lots of the white stuff. I love photographing in it and we are so dry. On my hikes before these last storms the ground in the mountains was so dry it was still dusty and not frozen. Each step still created a plume of dust, the soil desperately needs replenishing of some moisture.
I thought we were supposed to have some of that snow by now, April. I’ve seen a few flakes and that’s about it – nothing to speak of and certainly not enough to ‘replenish’ anything.
We have about 2 inches again, but not enough!
Man did I need this photo this morning. It feels like we are going on a bazillion days of dark and rainy. Did I mention this is NW Washington?
Sunshine, snow and songbird;
How can I not smile?
The mood here’s dark and dreary,
Ron brightens that a while.
Your comment brightened my day too, Lyle. Here it’s cold, gray and gloomy – with promised snow that hasn’t arrived and may not.
What a truly delightful and uplifting splash of colour. I can well see how it would improve your day. And a songster too. While many of of birds are very pretty indeed they are not musical.
What a shame that more people didn’t consider birds (and animals) doing what they do naturally to be a miracle. Perhaps, if they did, less species would be lost or in perilous decline.
Good point about ‘miracles’, EC. Personally I’m a miracle skeptic (understatement) but believing in some of them can have an up side.
With having 0 visibility from fog right now this lovely yellow bird makes me happy😁
Good!
Great photo! Just makes me smile! I’ve occasionally gotten sitings of our Eastern version during mild winters here. Always warms the heart!
Kathy, I’ve never seen an Eastern Meadowlark but it’s my understanding that they’re so similar to Westerns about the only way they can be distinguished from each other is by their song.
I grew up in Nebraska, and Meadowlarks are one of my favorite birds. After my dad moved to Texas he had a small plot surrounded by ranch land and when I visited we used to sit on his back porch and watch big flocks of them come through, glean for a while, and move on. He used to say they brought him tidings from “The Old Country.” I miss them, and him!
Stephanie, I’d say there are few if any other birds in North America that bring back more pleasant memories for more folks than meadowlarks.
“Feathered bundle of sunshine”. Indeed!
🙂
Thanks for the Wikipedia link—corrected all of the legendary misconceptions
with which I grew up… Meadowlark song was everywhere on the
east bench of Salt Lake City before development of that area–there were still
many orchards and large alfalfa fields, which rang with their lovely voices.
I’m glad that I had the experience of hearing them as I grew up–makes me
melancholy to remember those open lands.
Legendary misconceptions indeed. I shared them growing up as a kid.
Many of us around here feel the same melancholia about those long-gone open lands in northern Utah. And it’s getting worse at dizzying speeds. Thanks, Kris.
Beautiful shot of the Meadow Lark. Yes, “spring” is certainly to arrived here in North Central MT when they arrive……😀
Judy, it’s remarkable how many Montanan’s have a huge soft spot for meadowlarks, including many of my extended family who still live up there. But after the winters they have to endure I guess it’s completely understandable.
Wow. As I was looking at this shot, I realized I’ve never seen a Western Meadowlark in the snow. Growing up in MT, the Meadowlark’s song meant spring was really on its way. Though we lived in town, we had a big open field/prairie by our house – I vividly recall being a little girl waking up to the Meadowlark’s song.
In any case, this photo is stunning. Thank you.
Kathryn
Happy image for a time that it is covered in 6″ of snow at my house in Wisconsin. It made me smile and I could hear the song of their Eastern counterparts.
Thanks, Pam. These days in particular anything “happy” is a good thing.
That is a great photo with the sun lighting up those bold colors against the snow and that perfect sky. That does not seem right for your Montana State Bird to leave during the winter. Our Cactus Wren does not leave Arizona when it is 115. 🙂
Everett, winters are so damned cold in MT they’d have a hard time finding any “suitable” candidate for their state bird that stayed around all winter! 🙂
“Suitable” being the operative word! 😉 The one that is, probably, he best “fit” wasn’t, and isn’t, necessarily “popular”……😂