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| Snow Buntings |
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| Horned Larks - a portion of a flock which numbered in the 100s |
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| Horned Lark |
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| Snow Buntings atop a silo - 3 Lapland Longspurs are also present |
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| Detail with Lapland Longspur |
Showing posts with label Horned Lark. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Horned Lark. Show all posts
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Lapland Longspur, buntings & larks
The farms in Addison County, Vermont, are hosting many flocks of Snow Buntings and Horned Larks. We drove many of the roads; flocks were constantly flying from the roadside and swirling about the barns and feed areas. Here are a few images ...
Good Birding!!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
A New Mexico Sampler - 2
I'm still working on the photos from Bosque del Apache and Sandia Crest, so please keep coming back for Sandhill Crane, Snow Geese, Ross's Geese, and the Rosy-Finches.
Those are great birds, but a trip to the southwest could arguably be defined by this one bird with a name that is impossible to say - Pyrrhuloxia - a bird which may arguably "out-beauty" its relative the Northern Cardinal (both Genus Cardinalis)
Pyrrhuloxia combines terms for two birds - Pyrrhula (bullfinches) and Loxia (crossbills), terms which come from Greek and Latin and mean flame-colored, or red, and crooked. So you now have a new trivia answer, should you ever need one.
Both meadowlarks are found year-round in New Mexico, according to the range maps in my guides. I have very little experience with the Western Meadowlark, but based on the yellow malar, I am identifying this one as Western Meadowlark. If anyone with more experience thinks otherwise, please tell me (and why) - this is a continuing learning experience.
Gambel's Quail is always a treat on a southwestern trip. Love the plume!
Last winter in Vermont, I tried to photograph wintering Horned Larks. They are quite common, especially around barns and in hay fields. I did not get any photos that I would care to share. But, at White Sands National Monument, this Horned Lark posed very cooperatively. (Against the white sand, I can pass this lark off as a wintering
Vermont bird if necessary.)
As of January 1, this young Red-tailed Hawk made the transition from "hatch year bird" to "after hatch year bird." Hopefully, it is on its way to becoming a healthy breeding adult.
Good Birding!
Those are great birds, but a trip to the southwest could arguably be defined by this one bird with a name that is impossible to say - Pyrrhuloxia - a bird which may arguably "out-beauty" its relative the Northern Cardinal (both Genus Cardinalis)
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| Pyrrhuloxia |
Pyrrhuloxia combines terms for two birds - Pyrrhula (bullfinches) and Loxia (crossbills), terms which come from Greek and Latin and mean flame-colored, or red, and crooked. So you now have a new trivia answer, should you ever need one.
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| Pyrrhuloxia |
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| Western Meadowlark |
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| Gambel's Quail |
Vermont bird if necessary.)
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| Horned Lark |
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| Horned Lark |
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| Red-tailed Hawk |
Monday, February 21, 2011
Waxwings and Larks
Just a couple of hundred feet from my home, I was stopped this morning by frenetic activity in some bushes - a mixed flock of 75+ waxwings, with Cedar Waxwings predominating, but with plenty of Bohemians Waxwings. With the waxwing flock were 10 Eastern Bluebirds.
A few days ago I finally put to rest my worry that I would be the only birder in the county who would not see Snow Buntings and Horned Larks. Most were too far away for any photographs, but a few larks were nearer at hand and permitted a few so-so photo ops.
Good birding!
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| Part of the mixed flock of Bohemian Waxwings and Cedar Waxings in my neighborhood |
A few days ago I finally put to rest my worry that I would be the only birder in the county who would not see Snow Buntings and Horned Larks. Most were too far away for any photographs, but a few larks were nearer at hand and permitted a few so-so photo ops.
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| Horned Lark |
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