{"id":15756,"date":"2014-09-03T04:39:40","date_gmt":"2014-09-03T10:39:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=15756"},"modified":"2025-12-12T07:49:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T13:49:17","slug":"leaping-western-meadowlark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/09\/03\/leaping-western-meadowlark\/","title":{"rendered":"Leaping Western Meadowlark"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"LeapingLeaping Western Meadowlark – Nikon D810, f8, 1\/2500, ISO 500, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

I’ve found that getting take off shots of Western Meadowlarks is very challenging and that more often I miss the shot or clip the bird because they move so fast.<\/p>\n

I was ready when I thought this Western Meadowlark was going to take flight but instead the meadowlark took a flying leap towards the ground. I never even saw\u00a0the bird\u00a0open its wings!<\/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

PS, for now the Sage Grouse Lek in Morgan County<\/a><\/span> is safe, the zoning request was denied! The landowners will continue to fight I am sure, but every victory deserves to be celebrated!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I was ready when I thought this Western Meadowlark was going to take flight but instead the meadowlark took a flying leap towards the ground. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":165638,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[511,27,1022,26,371],"tags":[4004,4021,4138,6804,11978,4122,2655,6366,1027,4824,4825,4921,4061,2315,4308],"class_list":["post-15756","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-avian","category-davis-county-utah","category-utah","category-western-meadowlarks","tag-adult","tag-bird-photography","tag-boulder","tag-curlycup-gumweed","tag-desert-island","tag-flying","tag-jumping","tag-leap","tag-leaping","tag-meadowlark","tag-meadowlarks","tag-rock","tag-sturnella-neglecta","tag-summer-3","tag-western-meadowlark"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/western-meadowlark-leaping-mia-mcpherson-2022.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-468","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":115320,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/08\/21\/kamas-valley-western-meadowlark-with-a-grasshopper\/","url_meta":{"origin":15756,"position":0},"title":"Kamas Valley Western Meadowlark With A Grasshopper","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 21, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The first bird I photographed last week from the side of the road in the Kamas Valley was this scruffy Western Meadowlark with a grasshopper.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Western Meadowlark with a grasshopper, Kamas Valley, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/western-meadowlark-grasshopper-messy-mia-mcpherson-7791.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/western-meadowlark-grasshopper-messy-mia-mcpherson-7791.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/western-meadowlark-grasshopper-messy-mia-mcpherson-7791.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/western-meadowlark-grasshopper-messy-mia-mcpherson-7791.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":101020,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/03\/25\/western-meadowlark-singing\/","url_meta":{"origin":15756,"position":1},"title":"Western Meadowlark Singing","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 25, 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, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/western-meadowlark-spring-song-mia-mcpherson-4421.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/western-meadowlark-spring-song-mia-mcpherson-4421.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":119012,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/12\/14\/western-meadowlark-and-a-windy-morning-at-bear-river-mbr\/","url_meta":{"origin":15756,"position":2},"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. I did take photos of this handsome Western Meadowlark at the refuge though.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Western Meadowlark on a windy morning, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/western-meadowlark-bear-river-mbr-mia-mcpherson-9689.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/western-meadowlark-bear-river-mbr-mia-mcpherson-9689.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/western-meadowlark-bear-river-mbr-mia-mcpherson-9689.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/western-meadowlark-fall-wooden-post-mia-mcpherson-6829.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/western-meadowlark-fall-wooden-post-mia-mcpherson-6829.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/western-meadowlark-fall-wooden-post-mia-mcpherson-6829.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/western-meadowlark-fall-wooden-post-mia-mcpherson-6829.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":120258,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/01\/30\/western-meadowlarks-at-farmington-bay-wma\/","url_meta":{"origin":15756,"position":4},"title":"Western Meadowlarks At Farmington Bay WMA","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 30, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Much like the Great Blue Herons I shared yesterday, the Western Meadowlarks I found at Farmington Bay WMA two days ago were also behaving as if it were spring.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Western Meadowlarks showing courtship behaviors in January, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/western-meadowlarks-farmington-bay-wma-mia-mcpherson-3548.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/western-meadowlarks-farmington-bay-wma-mia-mcpherson-3548.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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