{"id":19932,"date":"2015-02-11T05:49:06","date_gmt":"2015-02-11T12:49:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=19932"},"modified":"2026-02-22T09:50:27","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T15:50:27","slug":"a-lark-blackbird-and-and-old-coyote","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/02\/11\/a-lark-blackbird-and-and-old-coyote\/","title":{"rendered":"Lark, Blackbird And An Old Coyote"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MaleMale Horned Lark perched on Tintic Quartzite – Nikon D810, f6.3, 1\/2000, ISO 320, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Yesterday the sun was shining on Antelope Island unlike the stormy day before<\/a><\/span> and there were birds and animals to photograph much to my delight.<\/p>\n

The Horned Larks were singing, preening, and chasing each other around. This male Horned Lark that was perched on Tintic Quartzite was one of my favorite larks images yesterday.<\/p>\n

Tintic Quartzite found on the island is 550 million years old and was at one time part of an ancient seabed. Typically the light color of the quartzite makes photographing birds on them challenging but in the right light these ancient rock formations can be interesting perches.<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale Red-winged Blackbird on a February day – Nikon D810, f8, 1\/1600, ISO 500, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The Red-winged Blackbirds are singing and displaying and are behaving as if spring has already started. I can’t blame them because it sure feels like spring to me not mid February.<\/p>\n

It won’t be long and the Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Brown Cowbirds and Brewer’s Blackbird will be joining the chorus.<\/p>\n

\"PalePale male Coyote in marsh grasses – Nikon D810, f6.3, 1\/2000, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC natural light, not baited or called in
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

On the way off of the island I spotted my third Coyote of the day and it was a coyote I had wondered about for some time. The last time I photographed him was in 2013 and his mate had suffered an injury to her leg<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

I have wondered if she survived and how this old, pale male had done too. He is so much paler or bleached out than the other coyotes on the island that he stands out.<\/p>\n

Well, now he has an injury to one of his back legs and doesn’t put any weight on it.\u00a0 It is park policy to allow nature to take its course and even though seeing this coyote limping along tugs at my heart I believe in that policy.<\/p>\n

The leg injury has not seemed to impede the hunting ability old coyote and he still looks healthy and strong. I hope his leg will heal.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

Yesterday the sun was shining on Antelope Island unlike the stormy day before and there were birds and animals to photograph much to my delight.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":170035,"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":[511,27,100,1022,436,419,26],"tags":[4151,3813,3483,733,4002,4181,1327,6433,2136,4062,4324,4470,3251],"class_list":["post-19932","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-avian","category-coyotes","category-davis-county-utah","category-horned-larks","category-red-winged-blackbirds","category-utah","tag-agelaius-phoeniceus","tag-blackbird","tag-blackbirds","tag-canis-latrans","tag-coyote","tag-eremophila-alpestris","tag-horned-lark","tag-lark","tag-larks-2","tag-male","tag-red-winged-blackbird","tag-rocks","tag-tintic-quartzite"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/coyote-old-mia-mcpherson-1174.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-5bu","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":166438,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2026\/01\/06\/horned-lark-meet-the-2026-aba-bird-of-the-year\/","url_meta":{"origin":19932,"position":0},"title":"Horned Lark – Meet The 2026 ABA Bird Of The Year","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 6, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Meet the Horned Lark, chosen by the American Birding Association as the 2026 ABA Bird of the Year. A bold pick, and honestly a great one.","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":"Early spring Horned Lark male on Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/horned-lark-male-adult-mia-mcpherson-2132.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/horned-lark-male-adult-mia-mcpherson-2132.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/horned-lark-male-adult-mia-mcpherson-2132.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/horned-lark-male-adult-mia-mcpherson-2132.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4458,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/02\/21\/horned-lark-eating-sunflower-seeds\/","url_meta":{"origin":19932,"position":1},"title":"Horned Lark Eating Sunflower Seeds","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 21, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday I was delighted to be able to photograph this male Horned Lark perched high on dried sunflower seed heads as it ate.","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":"Male Horned Lark eating sunflower seeds, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/horned-lark-male-eating-mia-mcpherson-4600.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/horned-lark-male-eating-mia-mcpherson-4600.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/horned-lark-male-eating-mia-mcpherson-4600.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/horned-lark-male-eating-mia-mcpherson-4600.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6270,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/10\/05\/horned-lark-on-a-poopy-perch\/","url_meta":{"origin":19932,"position":2},"title":"Horned Lark On A Poopy Perch","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 5, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Most of the Horned Larks I photograph are perched on rocks or boulders, this one is perched on a dried pile of Bison poop. Some might think this is a crappy perch and they would be right!","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":"Horned Lark bison pooh perch, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/horned-lark-poop-mia-mcpherson-9029.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/horned-lark-poop-mia-mcpherson-9029.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/horned-lark-poop-mia-mcpherson-9029.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday I took a few images of a Horned Lark male singing on Antelope Island State Park and it reminded me that I hadn't posted this image of a female Horned Lark that I photographed last year.","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":"Female Horned Lark on a February morning on Antelope Island State Park, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/horned-lark-female-mia-mcpherson-1021.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/horned-lark-female-mia-mcpherson-1021.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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