Meadowlarks Anyone? Please?

[Loupey]

I've been chasing these guys for the last few weeks with no luck. Can't get close enough :mad2:

I tried last spring with no luck other than a fly-by that wasn't very close. Any pointers or success stories on how to shoot these beautiful birds? Their habits, food, nesting, etc.


This shot, taken yesterday, is as close I have come to date on a not-so-glamorous perch. A 600mm image cropped slightly.

[Bevb]

I cant help you on the Meadowlarks Loupey as we dont have them here, the nearest i would think is our Skylark, but yours has beautiful colouring where ours is brown all over with a slight head crest, but knowing you, and your perciverence im sure you'l have a wonderful series of these birds very soon!

[OBie]

Loupey, I used to see them all day long when I worked in a small building with a small field behind it. Fairly rural spot. RR tracks were behind the field (used to watch the Ringling Bros. circus train go by each year!). They seemed to like being on the ground in the field. We called them Perry Como birds because they look like they're wearing a sweater vest. I don't see them much now that I live in a more urban area.

[WTP07]

Loupey,

According to my "Encyclopaedia of North American Birds" it is a Western Meadowlark, athough it says "Eastern Meadowlark almost identical and the two interbreed".

So if you just go with 'Meadowlark', you should be safe...

[Copy_Kot]

You are so lucky Loupey!!! I wish we had them around here, I think they are listed as uncommon in my state.

[WTP07]

At the risk of getting sued for sharing copywrited material, here is a scan of the page:




R.

[Loupey]

Randy, thanks for the info! I assumed we have only Easterns but the head shape and beak size does look like a Western. But the back coloration looks like an Eastern. Perhaps a hybrid then. Their diet is quite varied I see. Not going to be easy to locate them by food source.

Copy, at least you have a wide variety of waterfowl. Instead of the TV show Wife Swap, we'll have to do a Photog Swap instead

OBie - thanks for the info. The fields I see these guys have low, clumpy grass about the same color. Once they land, they pretty much disappear. And when hiking through, they fly away before I even had any idea they were there. Bad part is, when they fly away, it is away. No circling, no coming back

Bev - thanks for the vote of confidence. I hope to make good on it though. I will surely give it my best effort. A difficult subject makes it more alluring.

[Knight]

If i were to take a shot at a ID i would go with Eastern Medowlark . The yellow color under the bird`s beak does not go beyond its Jaw like the Western . And in your photo it only goes up to its cheek.

I may be out on a Limb here but im sure Paulnj will correct me if im wrong lol

Loupey i have only seen one of these once and it was ID as a Eastern. This one was taken pre DSLR with a Kodak Z740 with max zoom.

BTW good Capture

[Loupey]

Thanks, Knight. Hey - I like your perch better than my perch

Elusive suckers. I'm convinced that those images in Randy's book must be of pet Meadowlarks

The Boy Scouts should include a "Meadowlark Hunt" by day as an activity to go along with their "Snipe Hunt" by night.

[paulnj]

EASTERN, look at those white malars

Nice find and great image.

[Loupey]

LOL! I stopped by the fields yesterday on my way home from work.

These are the typical meadowlark shots I've been getting

A lot of butt shots. I figure I can only get to within 30~40 yards.


These are all with the 300mm+2x at full frame to show what I'm dealing with. I'll post a few more from yesterdays trip shortly.

Manual focus, of course

[Copy_Kot]

LOL Loupey, I think the only way you're going to get near them is to set up a blind near whatever it is that they eat... and wait (something I don't have the patience for).

[Loupey]

Thanks, Copy. I think you're right about the blind. Still don't know if it would work too well - big field and they are everywhere and nowhere at the same time

Image #1 here, is how I'm afraid I'm approaching them - unseen until they take flight Can you see it? It took me a moment to find him but I knew he was around because he chirped/barked (wasn't singing). If he hadn't turned his head, I wouldn't have seen him at all. This is a full frame shot with 600mm.

The others in #2 and #3 are a little easier to spot Cropped slightly.

[Copy_Kot]

The head gave away the bird in the first image.

I like the second image a lot, even thought I can't count the feathers on the birds head I remember someone here telling me that every shot does not have to be a head shot (two someone's told me that ). It was, and still is great advice

[Loupey]

Thanks Copy! I appreciate you hanging in there to this long developing thread

I like the second image a lot, even thought I can't count the feathers on the birds head

Hey - that got me curious. Perhaps now?

(MEGA crop of course.)

[Copy_Kot]

Loupey, you are definitely The King of Manual Focus, that's incredible!

[Loupey]

Just an update for anyone who may be curious: no, I haven't made too much progress getting close. I think I'll stop trying because I know the moment I do, one will pop out 15 feet away when I'm least expecting it.

Here are some from yesterday. The first one is actually the closest I've been able to come only because it was on a slight hill and I knew he was there from his singing. Once I popped above him, I got this one shot and he was gone. The last image here is the same perch from the original post. Light from the opposite end of the day.

Thanks again for all your help!