I’ll admit to feeling some guilt for not posting photos of Horned Larks more often. Just because they’re ‘common’ and don’t generate a lot of excitement from viewers is no good reason for me to ignore them. Which I too often do.
For reasons I explained recently, I don’t visit Antelope Island nearly as often as I used to but it had been a while so yesterday morning I yielded to the urge to return. As expected, except for bison the island was largely devoid of birds and wildlife but Western Meadowlarks and Horned Larks are still hanging on by their itty-bitty toenails.
1/8000, f/5.6, ISO 1600, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
I found this male on one of the rocks that are familiar to Antelope Island aficionados as the “Horned Lark Rocks” because Horned Larks have been habitually perching on them for years. The rocks are challenging perches for photographers because they’re white and usually too bright in direct sunlight but this photo was taken soon after sunrise, which largely solved that problem.
As you can see, I wasn’t paying appropriate attention to my camera settings but I still think the photo turned out well.
In recent years, State Parks has removed most of the Horned Lark Rocks but for now there are still several of them left. Each time I go back I expect the rest of them to be gone.
If you’re a local Horned Lark fan, better get your photos of them on these rocks while you can.
Ron
Awesome shot!
Charlotte Norton
Am from Chicago and have never seen a Horned Lark in person, so thanks for this post!
You are welcome, Stephanie. Glad you enjoyed the photo.
Exotica for me, too! As Michael points out, we SoCal folk have to drive a fair distance to see one of these oh-so-interesting birds! And definitely not just a LBJ … not with that mask and those “horns”!
I hope the rock removal doesn’t find you, a year from now, lamenting the infrequent sightings of this once-common feathered friend! 🤔
Chris, if any species can withstand some habitat changes it’s Horned Larks. They’re really tough little birds.
Common they might be to you, but they fall into the exotica camp for me.
Thank you for sharing this subtly coloured little beauty.
You’re very welcome, EC.
Handsome bird! Thank you for posting – have never seen one. Love the yellow highlights on his face. Also love the rock perch.
Thank you, Kathleen.
I’ll take a photo of a Horned Lark as often as you care to post them. They are beautiful little birds and very uncommon here. There are few places left in the Willamette Valley where they can be see. In the 1970s I knew where I could always finds them. They were not abundant then but reliable. No longer the case.
No apologies necessary for posting a common bird. All to often, because a bird is very common, it tends to be ignored. As a result, people often miss subtle features and they certainly miss some interesting behaviors. I admit to tiring of the multitude of Bald Eagle photos all in the same. pose and showing me nothing interesting about the bird. It’s much more rewarding to see an American Robin doing something I’ve not seen before. But many photographers will ignore the robin if an eagle is simply sitting overhead. Thanks for sharing this bird.
Dan, you make a very good, and completely valid, point near the end of your comment. I concur.
💯
Always enjoy seeing Horned Larks. Agree that they are beautiful little birds’ and that they are far more lovely than a LBJ. I have to drive a couple hours away to see them in places like the Carrizo Plain or other high desert areas.
Got to wonder if State Parks has any idea that the Horned Larks regularly use these rocks and that moving them might disturb the status quo.
Michael, I’m pretty sure they’re aware, they just have other priorities. To be honest, moving the rocks probably has more of a negative effect on bird photographers than it does on birds.
But I can tell you one thing, State Parks seldom if ever takes bird photographers into consideration when making their management decisions.
Nice photo in the morning light. There were many horned larks on my last visit, also more meadow larks than I have seen in a long time. I did not see any chuckars, but now the park is so popular they stay higher in the rocks and hiking is necessary to get to them. I still go for occasional visits. I do like to ride my bike and hike in cooler temps. Also one of my favorite times to hike is just after the bison roundup, I know where they are! I have always been leery of the bison, what usually happens is they are not on the trail out but on the trail back and I have to wait or do big detours to avoid them. After the one experienced trail runner was killed by bison I am more nervous, I think the increase of tourons on the island the bison are more touchy to space intrusion.
It’s always, ALWAYS, wise to be careful with bison.
Ron – excellent photo. I enjoy this because I rarely ever see them here. They used to be visible in an area here where we had hundreds of Pronghorns, but they have all be moved down to Tucson and replaced with hundreds of homes, so no more Larks.
Your use of the word habitual gave me a double take. I realized as I read the post that I have not spoken nor written that word in years. A part of my vocabulary that just disappeared. Thanks for the reminder that there is such a word. 🙂
Thanks, Everett. Interesting how words just disappear from our consciousness occasionally. It’s happened to me before too.
For what purpose would the state remove those iconic rocks ?
Who knows? They probably used them elsewhere but if so, I don’t know where. In this spot they’re lining a small pullout area next to a road.
Beautiful little bird on it’s rock. 🙂 A shame they’re removing them for whatever reason……. 🙁
Cold and snow coming as in single didget cold… 🙁 No “easing” into winter as usual here! Nothing new about that either…… 😉
WC’s post this morning was enjoyable.
Thanks, Judy. I was reading about your incoming weather yesterday afternoon. Brought back more MT memories.
I haven’t read WC’s post yet. I’m about to.
Lovely, they are a beautiful bird & hard to photograph.
Thank you, Ann.
Thank you for that! I for one love horned larks and while I know we have them in Ohio, I don’t see them often. I usually manage 1-2 a year, but this year, not one so far.
I’m glad you appreciate them, Connie. I think they’re subtle, lovely little birds. And far more than ‘little brown jobs” when you get close to them.