Before today, I had only seen an occasional Eastern Meadowlark, perched out in the open atop a low tree, or on a fence near a marshy preserve – its presence always signaled by its melodious singing 🎶.
But this afternoon, Meadowlarks literally appeared at every turn as we wandered through Dinner Island Ranch, a wildlife management area (WMA) in south Florida. What really surprised us was to see them hopping around in the low scrub of the dry prairies.
“They get their food by walking on the ground and probing with their bill. First they push their closed bill into the ground and then open their mandibles to disturb the dirt and expose grubs and worms—a common tactic for members of the blackbird family.” (All About Birds)
When viewed so close-up, it’s striking to see how large the Meadowlarks are. “This year-round Florida resident is not a lark, as its name suggests, but is in the same family as blackbirds and orioles.” (FWC).
So fascinating to learn more about this beauty – and a real treat to see so many in one day!!
What a treat! We saw a meadowlark last weekend – first one in a long time. They’ve started singing for spring!
Their song is so beautiful! I was amazed to see so many in one place today – and in such dry terrain.
Very impressive! I’ve never seen more than two in one general location. Lucky day!
Yes it was!☀
A most unique and handsome bird that is a newbie for me.
Thanks!📷
So glad we got to see them so close!
What a treat ☺️!
It was remarkable how many we saw – their bright color literally jumps out at you from the drab dry prairie.
Beautiful !
The brilliance of the Eastern Meadowlark’s yellow is like seeing bursts of sunshine!
What a beautiful bird BJ, and superb captures!
Thanks so much, AB. We felt very privileged to see them – my husband got some marvelous shots, too!
It’s always such a joy to come upon a meadowlark, and what a double joy it must’ve been for you to come upon such an abundance. Thanks for sharing this delightful bird, BJ~~
Thank you, Jet! The first one we saw was a surprise burst of sunny ☀️ delight! Little did we know then how many more we’d encounter the rest of the trip!
So pretty! Thank you for the info. 😊
And thank YOU for visiting, Amy!
So beautiful! You were lucky to see many of them.
The first one was a real surprise, and then they started popping up everywhere☀️
Such a beautiful bird…
It certainly is, and with a beautiful song, too! Thanks for visiting and following my blog, Maggie 🙂
Love that bright yellow coloring they sport.
Yes, such a brilliant yellow!