Western Meadowlark

Posted by Alan Melle on Wed Dec 17, 2003 6:49 am

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Taken along the Marsh Loop at Bosque Del Apache at Thanksgiving. Cropped from a horizontal to the 4:5 format to include the tips of the branch he was perched on.

F5, 600mm f/4 & 1.4TC, Kirk Window mount, Provia 100F

All comments greatly appreciated. Thanks

Alan Melle
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by AlexC on Wed Dec 17, 2003 6:55 am

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Nice bird, exposure, pose and detail, Nice to see something different from Bosque!! Congrats!!!

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by DC on Wed Dec 17, 2003 7:54 am

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Nice one Alan. Like the diagonal perch and the pose, very nice.

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by Bill Whala on Wed Dec 17, 2003 8:41 am

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I'm in awe of all of you folks that found perched birds that weekend. I hardly saw a one. This is excellent, Alan. Very nice diagonal perch.

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by Sandy Mossberg on Wed Dec 17, 2003 9:01 am

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Lovely shot, Alan.

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by Matthew Whitley on Wed Dec 17, 2003 9:02 am

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Nice shot... the like the size and placement in the frame. I think maybe a bit more USM might be helpful?
Matthew

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by E.J. Peiker on Wed Dec 17, 2003 9:37 am

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It's usually hard to tell them apart but most of the Meadowlarks in Bosque are of the Eastern variety. I don't have my books here at work so I can't tell for sure. I think I have only seen these guys in the grass at Bosque. Nice shot.

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by Bruce DiVaccaro on Wed Dec 17, 2003 9:38 am

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Alan,

Very nice shot with an excellent pose, perch and background.

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by Carol Clarke on Wed Dec 17, 2003 10:35 am

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Bruce said it all!!

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by Alan Murphy on Wed Dec 17, 2003 10:47 am

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Alan, Nice clean shot Alan.

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by Neil Solomon on Wed Dec 17, 2003 11:03 am

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Alan,

Nice job spotting this guy. All the meadowlarks that I saw were buried in the brush or purposely perched with the sun behind them

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by BrianS on Wed Dec 17, 2003 11:28 am

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Nice one -- particularly since you caught him/her perched.

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by E.J. Peiker on Wed Dec 17, 2003 2:41 pm

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OK, at lunch I checked this out and you are corect - this is a Western Meadowlark based on the white flanks and the spots rather than streaks

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by Alan Melle on Wed Dec 17, 2003 3:44 pm

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E.J. Peiker wrote:OK, at lunch I checked this out and you are corect - this is a Western Meadowlark based on the white flanks and the spots rather than streaks

Thanks E.J.

I am no expert but I reached the same conclusion after evaluating Sibley's ID characteristics. I appreciate the confirmation.

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by LHays on Wed Dec 17, 2003 4:27 pm

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Alan
You sure got a great shot of this guy. I had one lined up on a nice perch when an SUV pulled up next to me....blocking the shot. One of the guys in the truck asked "Hey....are all those white birds around here Canadian Geese?" Well, after he blocked my shot and scared the meadowlark off....I just said "Yep'!!!!

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by Wayne Ellis on Wed Dec 17, 2003 6:01 pm

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Nice one Alan

Comments and reposts welcome

Wayne Ellis

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by Cliff Beittel on Wed Dec 17, 2003 7:30 pm

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Nice meadowlark. If western, it's Sturnella neglecta, named by Aububon for Lewis & Clark's failure to note the new species when they had ample opportunity. I have trouble too, though, unless I hear them sing. I like the diagonal, but prefer to run bare branches through the frame.

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