{"id":20862,"date":"2015-03-05T05:33:34","date_gmt":"2015-03-05T12:33:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=20862"},"modified":"2025-12-12T18:07:48","modified_gmt":"2025-12-13T00:07:48","slug":"spring-time-meadowlark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/03\/05\/spring-time-meadowlark\/","title":{"rendered":"Spring Time Meadowlark"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SpringSpring time Meadowlark – Nikon D810, f6.3, 1\/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

This Western Meadowlark was busy yesterday poking its sharp bill through the emerging grasses to find prey in the warming soil. A couple of times I saw it snatch worms out of the ground and swallow them whole.<\/p>\n

I liked photographing this species on the ground instead of perched on bushes or rocks for a change. Their bright yellow plumage sure stands out!<\/p>\n

\"WesternWestern Meadowlark crouching in the grass – Nikon D810, f6.3, 1\/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I photographed this particular Western Meadowlark<\/span><\/a> for over 15 minutes, it was a very cooperative subject even though at times it seemed to disappear in the dried grasses from last year’s growth.<\/p>\n

Despite having at least some snow this week and colder temperatures signs of spring continue to show including the grasses turning green. I have even seen a few tiny, bright pink Redstem Filaree blooms on the island. Everything seems a little brighter these days.<\/p>\n

Yes, spring is on its way.<\/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":"

This Western Meadowlark was busy yesterday poking its sharp bill through the emerging grasses to find prey in the warming soil.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":165671,"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":[511,27,1022,26,371],"tags":[4004,4021,5000,4109,4824,4825,165,452,4061,4308],"class_list":["post-20862","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-emerging-grasses","tag-grasses","tag-meadowlark","tag-meadowlarks","tag-spring","tag-spring-time","tag-sturnella-neglecta","tag-western-meadowlark"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/western-meadowlark-grasses-mia-mcpherson-7443.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-5qu","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":56481,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/03\/08\/close-up-western-meadowlark\/","url_meta":{"origin":20862,"position":0},"title":"Close 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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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