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Dawn Chorus: Outstanding In Its Field [1]

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Date: 2023-01-08

Great Horned Owl surveys the fields of its domain and finds it suitable.

Rules are made to be broken. Cliches are meant to be… quashed? crushed? usurped? (help me here!)

Actually, I’m kinda on a fence about the theme… Vermillion Flycatcher in Coyote Valley

I thought I was going to have a really cool bird for this “Outstanding in its field” theme when I went on a chase for a Red-flanked Bluetail reported at Lighthouse Field in Santa Cruz. (get it??) Unfortunately, this very lost little bird remained lost to my friends and me. Fortunately, other birds like fields too.

Outstanding in any field, a Red-shouldered Hawk at Staten Island (CA, not NY!)

If your heart goes a-flutter for warblers, a nice wooded parkland is the place to be. Those who have the patience for IDing gulls or wintering shorebird can head to the water’s edge. For a raptor-phile like me, wide open spaces are perfection. And during a California winter, the grasslands and agricultural fields hold plenty of delights besides the predatory beauties.

This one is a real Fielder’s Choice — Juv. Bald Eagle on the grass, Golden Eagle on post. Each giving the other a bit of space — there’s a bit of telescopic effect here — they were probably 50’ apart at least.

Right now is prime time for birding in the ag lands in our state — they support large numbers of wintering birds, including waterfowl and shorebirds. Some of the most celebrated winter visitors make themselves comfortable in fields throughout the region.

You say there is another use for this field in summer? Fascinating! Sandhill Cranes in the delta.

We went out to one our favorite winter spots in early December, but we’d only had a few light rains by that point. The fields were reduced to dry stubble and birds were hard to find. It will be interesting to head back in a few weeks to see if our favorites turn up now that things are getting lush out there.

Does this call for the Infield Fly Rule? As in, Burrowing Owl literally flies into the field.

Even though I often think of birding in the fields as a Western thing, the East and Midwest have plenty of wide open spaces, too. When I go to the midwest, I tend to visit the hardwood forests and other wooded areas because they’re very different than our redwoods and oak grasslands, so I miss out on some of the field birds back there. No problem! Sometimes they take a field trip and come visit us.

Bobolink a long way from its prairie home companions.

It took me a long time to recognize American Pipits — they always seem to be way out in the middle of the field or dashing out of the middle of the road in a hurry. But now that I can reliably recognize them as the sparrows who have a thrush beak, it feels odd when we visit a big green field and don’t see them.

American Pipit, an expert in the field of The Fields. I often see them with Horned Larks, but I have no pix.

One other special treat in the fields (far from guaranteed) is the Mountain Plover. They were never plentiful, but their numbers seem to be dropping in recent years. When we saw them in Solano County not long ago, it was my first sighting in about 5 years.

Every day is a field day if you’re a Mountain Plover. Field mark is that it looks like any other clump of dirt in the recently disced field, except these clumps occasionally take off running.

Between you and me and the fencepost, I’m running out of themed puns but I’m not quite out of photos, so I’m going to share a few more of my favorite winter birds from the Fields of Dreams.

Ferruginous Hawk in the clearing Tule Fog (the name for the local ground fog). These gauzy memories are pretty typical of a lot of my Central Valley and Delta trips in winter.

Western Meadowlark is ready to field your questions.

Lark Sparrow. Perfect refutation for anyone who thinks sparrows are boring.

If you’re going on a Snipe Hunt, I suggest looking in the nearest wet field.

Western Bluebird can’t help but bring happiness.

California Quail surveying the scene at Point Reyes. It’s looking out on the Antenna Field (near the tree tunnel) for those of you who know the area.

Seeing some White-faced Ibis lets me know I’m in the Central Valley fields in winter.

Mammalian bonus! Always a special thing to spot a Badger in the field.

What do you Say we wrap this up?

Say’s Phoebe, the elegant sprite of the grasslands.

I can’t wait to get back in all of the newly watered fields!

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/1/8/2145954/-Dawn-Chorus-Outstanding-In-Its-Field

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