Last week when I was digiscoping an Eastern Meadowlark, I happened to spot this Horned Lark foraging along a nearby bike trail. A few people who saw this photograph before I published it asked if the bird was stunned or injured because of the way it's sitting. I'm happy to report the bird was perfectly fine. Horned Larks typically walk while they forage, but will sometimes sit in a single spot for several minutes if they happen upon a bonanza. Over the course of 30 minutes, this bird covered about a 25 foot stretch along the trail. When it had apparently eaten its fill of whatever it was finding, it took wing to the north, disappearing into the sky.
© 2010 Mike McDowell