{"id":17824,"date":"2014-12-19T17:23:45","date_gmt":"2014-12-20T00:23:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=17824"},"modified":"2025-12-12T08:23:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T14:23:14","slug":"western-meadowlark-out-leaps-10-lords","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/12\/19\/western-meadowlark-out-leaps-10-lords\/","title":{"rendered":"Western Meadowlark Out Leaps 10 Lords!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>I think the 10 Lords A-leaping are hanging up their their shoes after this Western Meadowlark out leaped them!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload aligncenter wp-image-165645 size-full\" title=\"Western Meadowlark A-leaping from a rabbitbrush, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/western-meadowlark-leaping-mia-mcpherson-5753.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/western-meadowlark-leaping-mia-mcpherson-5753.jpg\" alt=\"Western Meadowlark A-leaping from a rabbitbrush, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah\" width=\"850\" height=\"607\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27850%27%20height%3D%27607%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20850%20607%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27850%27%20height%3D%27607%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/western-meadowlark-leaping-mia-mcpherson-5753-200x143.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/western-meadowlark-leaping-mia-mcpherson-5753-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/western-meadowlark-leaping-mia-mcpherson-5753-400x286.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/western-meadowlark-leaping-mia-mcpherson-5753-600x428.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/western-meadowlark-leaping-mia-mcpherson-5753-768x548.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/western-meadowlark-leaping-mia-mcpherson-5753.jpg 850w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><span style=\"color: #808080;\">Western Meadowlark A-leaping &#8211; Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p>I waited patiently for this Western Meadowlark to take off from the rabbitbrush it was perched on this morning and it seemed like it was just going to stay there and out wait me. A bicyclist went by and the meadowlark still didn&#8217;t fly.<\/p>\n<p>I was about to give up when the bird&#8217;s behavior indicated to me that it was going to take off. I hoped for a few lift off and flight shot before it was out of range.<\/p>\n<p>I didn&#8217;t expect to get this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/guide\/Western_Meadowlark\/overview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Western Meadowlark<\/span><\/a> leaping!<\/p>\n<p>Those poor 10 Lords, I bet they can&#8217;t face the 9 Ladies Dancing now after being out leaped by a bird.<\/p>\n<p>Life<em> is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n<p>Mia<\/p>\n<p>Click <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/western-meadowlark-images\/\">here<\/a><\/span> to see more of my Western Meadowlark photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I think the 10 Lords A-leaping are hanging up their their shoes after this Western Meadowlark out leaped them! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":165645,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[511,27,26,371],"tags":[4004,11978,1027,4282,4824,4825,4289,4061,4308],"class_list":["post-17824","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-avian","category-utah","category-western-meadowlarks","tag-adult","tag-desert-island","tag-leaping","tag-lift-off","tag-meadowlark","tag-meadowlarks","tag-rabbitbrush","tag-sturnella-neglecta","tag-western-meadowlark"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/western-meadowlark-leaping-mia-mcpherson-5753.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-4Du","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":101020,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/03\/25\/western-meadowlark-singing\/","url_meta":{"origin":17824,"position":0},"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 &quot;Antelope Island State Park&quot;","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":15756,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/09\/03\/leaping-western-meadowlark\/","url_meta":{"origin":17824,"position":1},"title":"Leaping Western Meadowlark","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 3, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"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.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Antelope Island State Park&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Leaping Western Meadowlark, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/western-meadowlark-leaping-mia-mcpherson-2022.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/western-meadowlark-leaping-mia-mcpherson-2022.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/western-meadowlark-leaping-mia-mcpherson-2022.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/western-meadowlark-leaping-mia-mcpherson-2022.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":115320,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/08\/21\/kamas-valley-western-meadowlark-with-a-grasshopper\/","url_meta":{"origin":17824,"position":2},"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 &quot;Birds&quot;","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":57146,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/04\/08\/western-meadowlark-photos-with-signs-of-spring-growth\/","url_meta":{"origin":17824,"position":3},"title":"Western Meadowlark Photos With Signs Of Spring Growth","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 8, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"The birds I heard and saw on the island with the most frequency were Western Meadowlarks, most of them were too far away or too skittish to photograph but one of them was cooperative and I was grateful for that.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Antelope Island State Park&quot;","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 on rabbitbrush showing spring growth, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/western-meadowlark-spring-rabbirbrush-mia-mcpherson-7257.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/western-meadowlark-spring-rabbirbrush-mia-mcpherson-7257.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/western-meadowlark-spring-rabbirbrush-mia-mcpherson-7257.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/western-meadowlark-spring-rabbirbrush-mia-mcpherson-7257.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":48538,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/09\/20\/adult-western-meadowlark-on-blooming-rabbitbrush\/","url_meta":{"origin":17824,"position":4},"title":"Adult Western Meadowlark on Blooming Rabbitbrush","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 20, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"This Western Meadowlark perched on a blooming Rabbitbrush the first September after I had moved to Utah and I was thrilled to take this photograph on Antelope Island State Park.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Antelope Island State Park&quot;","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 on blooming rabbitbrush on Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/western-meadowlark-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherson-5286.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/western-meadowlark-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherson-5286.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/western-meadowlark-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherson-5286.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/western-meadowlark-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherson-5286.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":17824,"position":5},"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 &quot;Birds&quot;","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, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/western-meadowlarks-farmington-bay-wma-mia-mcpherson-3548.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/western-meadowlarks-farmington-bay-wma-mia-mcpherson-3548.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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