Even Eastern Meadowlarks sometimes just need a good stretch.
Showing posts with label eastern meadowlark. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eastern meadowlark. Show all posts
Monday, March 21, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
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Today's Birds
7:10 PM
Ryan Ankeny
Today's sunny weather really had the birds out and about. I saw White-crowned, White-throated, Swamp, Song, and American Tree Sparrows; a light phase Rough-legged Hawk has been back since Wednesday; a dark Western Red-tailed Hawk was spotted this afternoon; even the Eastern Meadowlarks were singing their tinkling tune. There were some signs that maybe spring isn't as far off as it seems.
Below the Rough-legged Hawk flies by the Merlin bird radar unit.
Usually when it snows there will be around a hundred or so Horned Larks picking for food along the roadsides, oddly enough this week I have only found one.
The meadowlarks are numerous at the active dumping area. There were probably around two dozen looking for scraps alongside the starlings. This guy below finds an old stale piece of bread too good not to eat.
Below the Rough-legged Hawk flies by the Merlin bird radar unit.
Rough-legged Hawk
Usually when it snows there will be around a hundred or so Horned Larks picking for food along the roadsides, oddly enough this week I have only found one.
Horned Lark
Northern Cardinal
The meadowlarks are numerous at the active dumping area. There were probably around two dozen looking for scraps alongside the starlings. This guy below finds an old stale piece of bread too good not to eat.
Eastern Meadowlark
Thursday, December 16, 2010
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Snow Birds
6:33 PM
Ryan Ankeny
When there is a lot of snow or ice on the ground, all the birds head up to the tipping floor where the garbage is being dumped. Everything else right now is covered in ice, so their only hope is to pick morsels of trash or stray seeds from the mud. Today I saw Mourning Doves, Eastern Meadowlarks, Horned Larks, two American Pipits and a single Lapland Longspur all at the active dumping area. The Rough-legged Hawk is still around as well. These shots aren't the best because the low light forced me to bump up the ISO and the birds are constantly moving picking food up off the ground so some are a little fuzzy.
Eastern Meadowlark
The most numerous birds were the Horned Larks with around 50 present. Most of the birds looked even paler than this bird below. There was a lot of variation in their color and no two birds looked the same.
Horned Lark
This Mourning Dove found some hay that was laying in the mud. It was frantically picking of all the small seeds from the grass.
The most accommodating by far was the American Pipit. The bird ventured close several times, sometimes as close as six feet from the truck. I counted two who were expertly dodging dump trucks while foraging for food.
American Pipit
Eastern Meadowlark
The most numerous birds were the Horned Larks with around 50 present. Most of the birds looked even paler than this bird below. There was a lot of variation in their color and no two birds looked the same.
Horned Lark
This Mourning Dove found some hay that was laying in the mud. It was frantically picking of all the small seeds from the grass.
Mourning Dove
The most accommodating by far was the American Pipit. The bird ventured close several times, sometimes as close as six feet from the truck. I counted two who were expertly dodging dump trucks while foraging for food.
American Pipit
The only bird I wasn't able to photograph was the Lapland Longspur. I saw it several times but it never came close enough for me to get a photo. Guess I'll have to try again tomorrow. I'm hoping for sunny skies instead of clouds, that way I can drop the ISO and open the aperture and avoid these fuzzy photos.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
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Grassland Birds cont.
8:23 PM
Ryan Ankeny
More good grasslands birds to report. I was treated to two pairs of Bobolinks today, a life bird for me. I had been hoping to see these guys show up one day and was thrilled to see these beautiful birds for the first time. Adding to the exciting day was two Cliff Swallows coursing low over the ground.
Eastern Meadowlark
Bobolink
Dickcissel
