Lark Sparrow On Lichen Covered Rocks

This Lark Sparrow was on such a beautiful pile of lichen covered rocks at Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge last week that I had to take a photo.

How could I pass it up? And really, why would I want to?

Lark Sparrow on lichen covered rocks at Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge – Canon R7, handheld, f8, 1/1600, ISO 800, -0.3 EV, Canon EF 100-400mm II at 400mm, natural light

The lichen-covered reddish rocks, the soft morning light, the spring grasses, and the surrounding prairie habitat practically demanded that I take a few photos of the Lark Sparrow.

Lark Sparrows were abundant at the refuge, and I was truly delighted to see them. I found them in grassy habitats, like this one, and in places I didn’t expect. Finding them in the oak forests on the refuge was a bit of a surprise for me.

The Lark Sparrows in the oak forests were harder to photograph than this little beauty.

The Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge is remarkable as one of the oldest and most ecologically significant wildlife refuges in the United States.

Established in 1901 and encompassing over 59,000 acres in southwestern Oklahoma, the refuge protects a unique landscape of ancient granite mountains, some of the oldest in North America, dating back around 500 million years-rising dramatically above the southern plains.

Multiple habitats at the refuge support an extraordinary diversity of life, including over 800 plant species, 240 bird species, 50 mammals, and dozens of reptiles, amphibians, and fish.

The rich array of wildlife, thriving in a mosaic of prairie, forest, and rocky habitats, makes the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge a unique and vital haven for both common and rare species of the southern Great Plains.

This handsome sparrow was just one of the many wonders that made me smile at the refuge.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Lark Sparrow photos plus facts and information about this species.