Five days ago was a Western Meadowlark kind of day on Antelope Island.
1/5000, f/5.6, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
That morning I took hundreds of shots of about a half dozen different meadowlarks perched and in flight but this simple photo of a perched male (based on behavior) was one of my favorites. I like his pose and vivid colors and the sagebrush setting in both foreground and background.
There’s more going on here than meets the eye. Just before this photo was taken, this bird and another male had been chasing each other around in a territorial dispute, so tensions were high.
1/5000, f/5.6, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
In this shot it may look like he’s singing but instead he was calling with the distinctive “chupp” call that in this species indicates disturbance and tension. The chupp call is typically used when an intruding meadowlark enters the territory of a resident meadowlark. When this photo was taken, the intruder was at the base of the dark, out-of-focus sagebrush we see at lower left.
While he was perched here, this was the only time he looked in my direction. Most of the time he was…
1/5000, f/5.6, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
in a stare-down with the intruding meadowlark, who kept popping in and out of the sagebrush at lower left. I figured he’d eventually take off and go after the other bird so I was hoping for a takeoff shot I liked. But when it eventually happened he…
1/6400, f/5.6, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
took off at a low angle and almost directly toward me so I’m not happy with the shot, which is soft anyway. Immediately after launch he dove steeply downward and to his right, in the direction of the other meadowlark.
1/4000, f/5.6, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
He landed there and kept staring at the spot where the other meadowlark had disappeared at the base of the sagebrush. It was actually pretty intense and it lasted for quite a while.
1/5000, f/5.6, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Once again, he only looked in my direction a single time and only for a moment. His concentration on the other bird was mostly uninterrupted. Eventually both birds disappeared into the sagebrush, where I could hear the sounds of a presumed scuffle but I never saw either bird again. It’s funny how they can disappear without a trace like that.
I was disappointed in my failure to get takeoff, flight or action shots of either bird so I had to settle for…
1/5000, f/5.6, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
a flight shot of a different meadowlark later that morning. This bird had been perched on a rock above me and I got two shots of him in flight that looked very similar.
This was my consolation prize and my favorite of the two.
Ron
A meadowlark kind of day sounds pretty damn good to me. And I loved these shots. Thank you.
Thanks, EC.
I’m glad Kris Eberhard mentioned the unusual “top of the head” view, because that is what struck me, too. Very neat. This whole post is great, because besides showing portraits of a beautiful bird, it also shows us a piece of this guy’s life – “there’s someone else in my space, and this is what I’m going to do about it”. I love photo #3, with his head turned back – what a story just that photo tells!
Much appreciated, Carolyn. Kris is pretty observant, so she notices and points out a lot of interesting things.
When I see the word “meadowlark” I think of that great Harlem Globetrotter “Meadowlark Lemon”. Wonder if he took his name from our yellow, feathered friend!
Karen, I really enjoyed Meadowlark Lemon, the “Crown Prince” of basketball. What a personality, to match his amazing antics and skills on the court.
I think I remember that his given first name was Meadow, which evolved into Meadowlark.
Love that last shot. Meadowlarks are so colorful and fun to watch. Glad you ran into them and used them for your post this morning. And thanks for the education on the chup call. I have heard that, but was not sure what it meant.
Thanks, Everett. They use that chupp call often. But most folks don’t pay much attention to it because it’s more subtle and much less musical than their song.
For some reason, the “stare-down” shot tickled my funny-bone–
and I enjoyed the next, take-off, shot because I don’t think I’ve ever seen the marking on the TOP of a meadowlark’s head–usually
that head is thrown back in enthusiastic song–“Oh, what a beautiful
morning” you both had !
“For some reason, the “stare-down” shot tickled my funny-bone”
Me too, Kris. But then I’m a bird behavior kinda guy.
Fun! We don’t see that kind of activity with them “up top” on the prairie and LOTS of space to occupy…. 😉 It is amazing (and frustrating) to me how such a brightly colored bird can just disappear into the brush. Can tell by his posture he’s anything but relaxed for the most part – the “skinny bird” thing as I refer to it 🙂
Robins are doing the territory thing here at present.
“the “skinny bird” thing as I refer to it.”
Good eye, Judy. Most folks don’t notice stuff like that.
Like the term for that; “skinny bird”.
Western Meadowlarks are a delight. Always enjoy seeing and hearing them in the field. That first shot is a great portrait. Then again, I find something I like about all of these that you have posted. Guess I just like Meadowlark stuff.
“Guess I just like Meadowlark stuff.”
So do I, Michael – a leftover from my growing up days on the MT farm where meadowlarks and their joyful songs were abundant in late spring and early summer.