Eastern meadowlark?

[Marcia Wade - Lafayette, Boulder County]

I saw a Bullock's oriole on S. Boulder Rd. and Cimarron St. in Louisville on Tues. (6/2) at about 3 p.m. - it was flying south across an empty field.  At Greenlee in Lafayette the same day at dusk, I saw a female downey woodpecker, a yellowheaded blackbird, an osprey hunting over the lake, a black chinned hummingbird, and a Swainson's hawk being pursued by a really pissed off red-winged blackbird.  The blackbird kept diving the hawk until she flew back to her nest.  She hopped around the nest for a few minutes and then snuggled down into the nest until she completely disappeared.  The blackbird stood nearby shrieking, and still was when I passed by 20 min. later.  Wednesday at dusk I saw two Swainson's hawks (one is a dark morph - ID'd for me by Mr. Sudjian) two blocks south of 104th and Dillon Road - one on a light pole, one in a tree.  Also saw a snowy egret and a yellow rumped warbler (eastern) in pond to west of Stearns Lake, and the meadowlark pictured below.  I think it is an eastern meadowlark b/c the area behind the base of the lower mandible is white instead of yellow.  Anyone agree?  I couldn't get a clear recording of his song b/c the red wings were causing such a rucus.   

[The "Nunn Guy"]

Hi all

With all of the recent talk of Eastern Meadowlark I did a quick search on identifying between the two and found this useful article: https://www.birds.cornell.edu/crows/mlarkdiff.htm

Thanks Gary Lefko, Nunn

http://www.friendsofthepawneegrassland.org

[Caleb A]

Hello Marcia!
Great photos--too bad you couldn't obtain audio! I read Gary's link about Eastern versus Western Meadowlarks, and after carefully studying the images by Cornell and yours, I am leaning toward this bird being a Western Meadowlark.

I definitely noticed that white part just under the lower mandible, but it just looks like too faint a thin piece, and the yellow from the throat "invades" the malar area. Given the amount of variability (check out Gary's link--it's really helpful!), I would say that the white visible on your bird doesn't quite seem to be a 100% confirming mark to be totally certain about Eastern. Did you get good looks at the tail feathers?

Interesting bird!

The birds are happy, and so am I

~Caleb Alons, Larimer County

[Lisa Carp]

Thx for posting Gary.

Lisa Carp

Superior

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