I guess it’s time for an interlude from things tropical, well, at least for a few posts. Floy and I did our annual trip to the migratory birding areas of San Louis and Merced National Wildlife Refuges and the Panoche Valley, all of which are in Central California. Panoche Valley is semi-desolate, with some cattle farming. This area attracts birds that are not often seen in the San Jose, California area such as Horned Larks, Mountain Plovers, Mountain Bluebirds, etc. It’s not unusual to see this species there in the winter. After rain, the Panoche area can be emerald green. Beware of the mid-summer because it can become very hot and dry.
This is the same hawk Floy presented in her sketch below. Unlike other hawks of the area, this one spends a great deal of time standing in open fields. Scanning the vast fields of the valley, it’s not uncommon to see them standing as a white pillar in the distance.