meadowlark

Despite the name, not a lark, but a member of the blackbird family. Certainly one of the most colorful!

KC said he ever only sees them on the ground ... voila ;-)

Meadowlark; Eastern or Western - who can help?

Not sure whether Eastern (magna) or Western (neglecta). Maybe someone can help me out. Thank you.

Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna magna) Winter plumage.

Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna magna) Nonbreeding plumage.

2 new birds for me so I thought I would post them up. A Magpie and a Meadowlark.

Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna magna) Non-breeding plumage.

Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna magna) Non-breeding plumage.

Long-tailed Meadowlark (Leistes loyca catamarcanus) Male.

Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna hoopesi)

Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna magna) Sexes similar.

Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna magna) In a corn field. Sexes similar.

Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna magna) Sexes similar.

Renamed: Red - breasted Meadowlark

While visiting my daughter in Colorado, I spotted this beauty in Chatfield Park.

This one, however, may be a Western. Or is it? There is a whitish "gap" between the lower mandible and the yellow along the side of its neck, but that gap is quite small. Westerns occasionally have such a gap, although as a rule the yellow on their necks goes all the way up to the...

This vacation to Colorado proved to be a success for me seeing different types of birds. This is a first for me...a meadowlark! How beautiful are it's colors and markings.

For the past few weeks it's been Tree Swallows and Bluebirds because that's who's been using my nest boxes lately. But last week I had a surprise. After refilling my feeders early one morning, I started back indoors. Just then, a larger-than-usual songbird flew to the top of the tree by my...

The hills are alive with the sound of music.

Taken at the Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline at about 10m.

Taken at the Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline at about 10m. What a difference a couple weeks makes: the yellow has certainly become quite intense!

Taken at the Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline at about 10m. I've seen these birds before, but haven't gotten a clear photo until recently.

Again - overexposed and not enough DOF, but I kind of like it anyway as a capture of the bright light and motion. Not easy to ID in this shot, but in another I can clearly see the black V on bright yellow breast.