A tattered Peterson Field Guide to western birds sits on the living room window sill. It recently offered a clue as to the identity of the curious creatures wandering the nearby fields.
"A brown ground bird, with black sideburns, two small black horns, and a black breast splotch. Walks, does not hop."
A noble description fitting for such a regal beast. The Horned Lark, Eremophila alpestris, inhabits open fields, prairies, and tundras, and makes for an entertaining evening with the binocs.
Painting by Audubon.
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