By Sally Siko

Here’s a beautiful bird that might be overlooked when we are outdoors, the Eastern Meadowlark.
I was pleased to spot this gorgeous feathered gem while on a birding trip at the Pea Island NWR this past weekend.
Normally Meadowlarks tend to stay low, running through medium lengths of grass so it was a real treat to catch these birds out in the open.

The Eastern Meadowlark is are often heard long before they are seen when singing their bell rattles and chips. Their calls are loud and carry quite well across an open field.
The reason why they might be overlooked is because these guys can be difficult to actually see as they hunt for a meal in the grass.
Dressed in cream, brown, tan, and yellow plumage flicked with black points, Meadowlarks are well camouflaged for a life on the ground making them the quintessential grasslands bird of the east.

Meadowlarks are a year round resident of North Carolina and may be found in all 100 counties of the Tarheel State.
That being said, they do migrate locally in varying numbers throughout the year and are somewhat more abundantly found in our eastern count during the winter months.
Look (and listen!) for these beauties in pastures, fields, lawns and in meadows in rural areas.
Aren’t they lovely?

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5