Western Meadowlark
Sturnella neglecta
The Western Meadowlark is not a true lark, but more closely related to orioles and new world blackbirds. They range over most of North America west of the Mississippi River Valley. We usually find them in open grasslands, prairies, meadows and agricultural fields, where their songs echo in clear warbling tones that meet our ears.
I find the songs of Western Meadowlarks have an other-worldly quality that’s difficult to describe. It begins with a warbling yodel of high notes, then transcends in a ballet of crisp notes before ending in a low gurgle. Their songs conjure up memories from my earliest childhood on my grandparent’s ranch.
The Western Meadowlark has an eastern cousin (Eastern Meadowlark), and where their territories overlap, interbreeding occurs only rarely. The songs of the eastern bird (to my ear) are softer and gentler than the western birds, whose calls and songs I’m more familiar with. To the eye they are very similar, but where the darker striped, or checked markers extend over their flanks, the base color of the western bird is a creamy white, while in the eastern bird it is the same yellow color as the belly.
Science recognises two subspecies of Western Meadowlark:
- S. n. confluenta lives in southwestern and central British Columbia to western Idaho and south to southern California.
- S. n. neglecta lives from southeastern British Columbia to northern Baja California (Mexico), and east to Texas and the Gulf States.
The Latin name Sturnella roughly translates to little starling, and the neglecta name is a term used by J. Audubon as a reference describing how this bird was overlooked (neglected) and misidentified and dismissed as the better known Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna).
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
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Description: Antelope Island State Park, north of Salt Lake City, Utah. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:10 11:35 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X0544-WesternMeadowLark |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
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Description: Antelope Island State Park, north of Salt Lake City, Utah. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:10 11:35 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X0548-WesternMeadowLark |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
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Description: Antelope Island State Park, north of Salt Lake City, Utah. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:10 11:36 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X0560-WesternMeadowLark |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
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Description: Antelope Island State Park, north of Salt Lake City, Utah. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:10 11:36 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X0566-WesternMeadowLark |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
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Description: Antelope Island State Park, north of Salt Lake City, Utah. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:11 8:52 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: D3X1416-WesternMeadowLark |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
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Description: Merced NWR, south of Merced, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:12:29 10:44 |
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Location:
Merced NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 |
File Name: D3X6019-WesternMeadowLark |
| © 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
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Description: Upper Owens River Valley, Mono County, California. |
Date Taken: 2009:03:10 17:29 |
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Location:
Benton Crossing |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/1600 |
File Name: jcd3833WesternMeadowLark |
| © 2009 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
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Description: Upper Owens River Valley, Mono County, California. |
Date Taken: 2009:03:11 17:04 |
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Location:
Whitmore Hot Springs |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/750 |
File Name: JCD3876.WesternMeadowLark |
| © 2009 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
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Description: Whelan Lake. Near Oceanside, California (San Diego County). |
Date Taken: 2003:02:23 14:51 |
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Location:
Whelan Lake |
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Camera Information: Nikon SUPER COOLSCAN 4000 ED, |
File Name: A3B23c09-WesternMeadowLark |
| © 2003 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
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Description: Sacramento NWR, near Willows, Northern California. |
Date Taken: 2003:12:17 13:58 |
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Location:
Norman |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/9.5, 1/350 |
File Name: JCD_5012WesternMeadowLark |
| © 2003 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
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Description: Sacramento NWR, near Willows, Northern California. |
Date Taken: 2003:12:17 17:09 |
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Location:
Norman |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/60 |
File Name: JCD_5207WesternMeadowLark |
| © 2003 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
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Description: Dos Picos Park in Ramona, California, San Diego County.. |
Date Taken: 2016:01:11 14:45 |
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Location:
Dos Picos Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 400 mm, f/5.0, 1/640 |
File Name: D723327-WesternMeadowLark |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
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Description: Dos Picos Park in Ramona, California, San Diego County.. |
Date Taken: 2016:01:11 14:45 |
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Location:
Dos Picos Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 400 mm, f/5.0, 1/640 |
File Name: D723324-WesternMeadowLark |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
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Description: Antelope Island State Park, north of Salt Lake City, Utah. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:11 8:52 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: D3X1416-WesternMeadowLark-1 |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
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Description: Resident bird at the Ramona Grasslands Preserve. Ramona, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2014:03:08 10:02 |
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Location:
Ramona Grassland Preserve |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: D3X_0032-WesternMeadowLark |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
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Description: Resident bird at the Ramona Grasslands Preserve. Ramona, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2014:03:08 10:02 |
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Location:
Ramona Grassland Preserve |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: D3X_0026-WesternMeadowLark |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
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Description: Bicknell Bottoms along the Fremont River in South Central Utah. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:14 7:42 |
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Location:
Bicknell Bottoms |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: WesternMeadowLark_D5X3133-BicknellBottoms |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
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Description: Ramona Grasslands Preserve. Ramona, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2014:03:08 10:02 |
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Location:
Ramona Grassland Preserve |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: D3X_0034-WesternMeadowLark |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
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Description: Each of the three days I spent at this park, the meadowlarks had their favorite perches and could be counted on to pose and sing. Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park, near Las Cruces New Mexico. |
Date Taken: 2020:02:29 9:13 |
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Location:
Mesilla Valley |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/8000 |
File Name: WesternMeadowLark_D5X1765-MesillaValley |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
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Description: Each of the three days I spent at this park, the meadowlarks had their favorite perches and could be counted on to pose and sing. Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park, near Las Cruces New Mexico. |
Date Taken: 2020:02:29 9:16 |
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Location:
Mesilla Valley |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/8000 |
File Name: WesternMeadowLark_D5X1873-MesillaValley |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
|
Description: Each of the three days I spent at this park, the meadowlarks had their favorite perches and could be counted on to pose and sing. Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park, near Las Cruces New Mexico. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:01 11:35 |
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Location:
Mesilla Valley |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/2000 |
File Name: WesternMeadowLark_D5X2483-MesillaValley |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
|
Description: Each of the three days I spent at this park, the meadowlarks had their favorite perches and could be counted on to pose and sing. Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park, near Las Cruces New Mexico. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:01 11:35 |
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Location:
Mesilla Valley |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/2500 |
File Name: WesternMeadowLark_D5X2559-MesillaValley |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
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Description: Each of the three days I spent at this park, the meadowlarks had their favorite perches and could be counted on to pose and sing. Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park, near Las Cruces New Mexico. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:01 11:44 |
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Location:
Mesilla Valley |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/5000 |
File Name: WesternMeadowLark_D5X2629-MesillaValley |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
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Description: Resident bird at the Ramona Grasslands Preserve. Ramona, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2014:03:08 10:02 |
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Location:
Ramona Grassland Preserve |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: D3X_0030-WesternMeadowLark |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
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Description: Ramona Grasslands Preserve. Ramona, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2014:03:08 10:03 |
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Location:
Ramona Grassland Preserve |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: D3X_0046-WesternMeadowLark |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
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Description: Antelope Island State Park is one of the most memorable birding locations I've had the pleasure of visiting. It sits north of Salt Lake City Utah near the community of Layton. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:18 9:21 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: WesternMeadowLark_D5X6671-AntelopeIsland |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
|
Description: Each of the three days I spent at this park, the meadowlarks had their favorite perches and could be counted on to pose and sing. Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park, near Las Cruces New Mexico. |
Date Taken: 2020:02:29 9:13 |
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Location:
Mesilla Valley |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/8000 |
File Name: WesternMeadowLark_D5X1772-MesillaValley |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
|
Description: Each of the three days I spent at this park, the meadowlarks had their favorite perches and could be counted on to pose and sing. Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park, near Las Cruces New Mexico. |
Date Taken: 2020:02:29 9:14 |
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Location:
Mesilla Valley |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/8000 |
File Name: WesternMeadowLark_D5X1798-MesillaValley |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
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Description: Foraging on the frozen mud and shallow water seemed fruitful for some of the birds I met on the reserve. I first visited Bitterlake NWR outside of Roswell New Mexico in April 2020. This visit was a winter sampling of the reserve’s wildlife. |
Date Taken: 2020:12:25 9:00 |
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Location:
Bitterlake NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: WesternMeadowlark_D5X1876-Bitterlake-Roswell-NM |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
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Description: Though the cornfield had been plowed, there were burlap bags of corn ears left behind, and the meadowlarks wanted a share of the booty. Corrales NM is a community a few miles north of Albuquerque, with several open fields where Sandhill Cranes have found reliable food supplied by local residents. Jerry and I spent a few hours getting aquainted with them on Wednesday. |
Date Taken: 2020:12:09 11:30 |
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Location:
Corrales |
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Camera Information: NIKON Z 7, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: WesternMeadowLark_Z7X1841-Corrales_NM |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
|
Description: Though the cornfield had been plowed, there were burlap bags of corn ears left behind, and the meadowlarks wanted a share of the booty. Corrales NM is a community a few miles north of Albuquerque, with several open fields where Sandhill Cranes have found reliable food supplied by local residents. Jerry and I spent a few hours getting aquainted with them on Wednesday. |
Date Taken: 2020:12:09 11:31 |
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Location:
Corrales |
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Camera Information: NIKON Z 7, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: WesternMeadowLark_Z7X1868-Corrales_NM |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
|
Description: Foraging on the frozen mud and shallow water seemed fruitful for some of the birds I met on the reserve. I first visited Bitterlake NWR outside of Roswell New Mexico in April 2020. This visit was a winter sampling of the reserve’s wildlife. |
Date Taken: 2020:12:25 9:00 |
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Location:
Bitterlake NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: WesternMeadowlark_D5X1873-Bitterlake-Roswell-NM |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
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Description: Walking on water is easier if the surface is frozen. I first visited Bitterlake NWR outside of Roswell New Mexico in April 2020. This visit was a winter sampling of the reserve’s wildlife. |
Date Taken: 2020:12:25 10:54 |
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Location:
Bitterlake NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: WesternMeadowlark_D5X2321-Bitterlake-Roswell-NM |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
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Description: Western Meadowlarks patrolled all the open grassy areas in camp, but kept away from the campers at Cottonwood. I drove from Terlingua Texas to Santa Elena Canyon via the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, and stopped to enjoy several places on the way. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:02 14:08 |
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Location:
Cottonwood Camp |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: WesternMeadowLark_D5X7194-CottonwoodCamp |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
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Description: Western Meadowlarks patrolled all the open grassy areas in camp, but kept away from the campers at Cottonwood. I drove from Terlingua Texas to Santa Elena Canyon via the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, and stopped to enjoy several places on the way. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:02 14:07 |
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Location:
Cottonwood Camp |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: WesternMeadowLark_D5X7107-CottonwoodCamp |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta) |
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Description: Exploring the nearby town of McAllen, I saw meadowlarks in a neighborhood yard. I returned to Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park Friday, three days after my first brief visit last Tuesday, when cold weather had a firm grip on most live forms. With my repaired bicycle under me, I explored all the paths the park would allow and spent a lovely day capturing wildlife images. |
Date Taken: 2021:02:18 13:07 |
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Location:
Mata Colonia |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: WesternMeadowlark_D5X2877-McAllen-TX |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
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