The first bird I photographed last week from the side of the road in the Kamas Valley was this scruffy Western Meadowlark with a grasshopper.  April and I used my Jeep as a mobile blind to get photos of this meadowlark.

Western Meadowlark with a grasshopper, Kamas Valley, Summit County, UtahWestern Meadowlark with a grasshopper – Nikon D500, f9, 1/1000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

The Western Meadowlark was molting and had likely gotten wet in the flooded meadow while catching the grasshopper, which added to its scruffy appearance. It might seem late in the year, but both April and I believe that this meadowlark was still feeding its young. Western Meadowlarks can have more than one brood per season.

In Utah, Western Meadowlarks are year-round residents although meadowlarks at higher elevations do move to lower elevations during the winter and at times meadowlarks in northern Utah will move south during harsh winters.

As for the gender of this molting Western Meadowlark, I wouldn’t even hazard a guess, because the males and females look similar, and both sexes feed their young until they can take care of themselves.

I hadn’t captured any images of Western Meadowlarks this year since late winter or early spring due to my extended journey to Virginia, Texas, and Arkansas. Even though this meadowlark looked like it had just rolled out of bed and appeared messy, I was happy to have it in my viewfinder.

After photographing this meadowlark, April and I took more pictures of birds we found in the Kamas Valley before heading into the Uinta Mountains via the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway. We took our time, savored the cooler mountain air, soaked in the gorgeous views, and found birds, butterflies, flowers, lichens, and more to photograph.

What a grand way to enjoy the day!

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Western Meadowlark photos plus facts and information about this species.