{"id":117752,"date":"2023-11-02T03:14:38","date_gmt":"2023-11-02T09:14:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=117752"},"modified":"2023-11-02T03:28:19","modified_gmt":"2023-11-02T09:28:19","slug":"western-meadowlark-amusement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/11\/02\/western-meadowlark-amusement\/","title":{"rendered":"Western Meadowlark Amusement"},"content":{"rendered":"

Photographing this Western Meadowlark on Monday on my way back to I-15 from Bear River MBR<\/span><\/a> was so much fun for me that it probably ought to be illegal.<\/p>\n

\"BackBack view of Western Meadowlark in fall \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/3200, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Why? Because the meadowlark seemed to be posing like a model just for little ole me! The meadowlark started off by giving me a great back view with an over-the-shoulder look directly at me and my camera.<\/p>\n

\"SideSide view of a roadside Western Meadowlark \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/2500, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Next up came a striking side view, with one foot raised and lovely eye contact. The simple, out-of-focus mountain and sky background placed all the attention on the sharp looking meadowlark.<\/p>\n

\"WesternWestern Meadowlark profile view with a head turn \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/2500, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

A profile view with a head turn was the next pose the feathered poser gave me. The stern look in the bird’s eye of course, was all in my mind.<\/p>\n

\"PuffedPuffed up head on Western Meadowlark \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/3200, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Soon, the meadowlark turned and faced directly towards me. Yes, I know I didn’t get catch lights in the bird’s eyes, but this look was so funny I felt that I simply had to share this photo.<\/p>\n

\"SquattingSquatting Western Meadowlark with flipped feathers \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/3200, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Before long, the meadowlark changed poses again and squatted down. A light breeze flipped up some of the feathers on the left flank of the bird. By then, I was laughing and was having trouble trying to stop my laughter.<\/p>\n

\"PuffedPuffed up and scrunched down Western Meadowlark \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/3200, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I held my breath to stifle my laughter, and in the very next frame, this is what I saw. I gave up and laughed some more. I won’t even mention what I thought it looked like the bird was doing in this part of the series of images.<\/p>\n

\"WesternWestern Meadowlark frontal view but looking sideways \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/3200, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

When the meadowlark straightened up, I had a frontal view of the bird looking sideways. Yes, it was as if this bird was modeling just for me, showing itself at all angles.<\/p>\n

\"FallFall Western Meadowlark at Bear River MBR \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/3200, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

My last images of the meadowlark were all of this pose with just slightly different head angles. By that time, my stomach was letting me know it needed food, so I thanked the meadowlark, turned my Jeep on, and headed towards home.<\/p>\n

This Western Meadowlark<\/span><\/a> amused, enchanted, and delighted me the entire time I had it in my viewfinder. Maybe having that much fun should be illegal. Nah, I’m only kidding about that. I live a life filled with birds that fuels my passion for them.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Western Meadowlark photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Photographing this Western Meadowlark on Monday on my way back to I-15 from Bear River MBR was so much fun for me that it probably ought to be illegal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":117732,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[124,27,1148,26,371],"tags":[970,5180,4620,5025,14543,14545,5023,6095,4824,4825,14542,4104,6374,5652,11852,5300,14544,5769,6385,4018,5705,4061,4308,8917],"class_list":["post-117752","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-utah","category-western-meadowlarks","tag-autumn","tag-back-view","tag-fall","tag-feathers","tag-flipped","tag-frontal-view","tag-head-on","tag-head-turn","tag-meadowlark","tag-meadowlarks","tag-old-lake-bottom","tag-perched","tag-profile-view","tag-puffed-up","tag-ranchlands","tag-roadside","tag-scrunched-down","tag-side-view","tag-sideways","tag-sky","tag-squatting","tag-sturnella-neglecta","tag-western-meadowlark","tag-wooden-post"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/western-meadowlark-fall-wooden-post-mia-mcpherson-6829.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-uDe","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":119012,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/12\/14\/western-meadowlark-and-a-windy-morning-at-bear-river-mbr\/","url_meta":{"origin":117752,"position":0},"title":"Western Meadowlark And A Windy Morning At Bear River MBR","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 14, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"I didn't photograph many birds at Bear River MBR yesterday because it was windy. 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2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The song of this Western Meadowlark that I found two days ago on Antelope Island State Park was a wonderful springtime melody that I needed to hear.\u00a0","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Western Meadowlark singing in spring, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/western-meadowlark-spring-song-mia-mcpherson-4421.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/western-meadowlark-spring-song-mia-mcpherson-4421.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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