I drove around the Black Dirt Region in the rain this morning. I was rewarded with my first decent look at the American Golden-Plovers that have been hanging around for a little while now. I also had a calling Black-bellied Plover; I heard it call, but I was unable to find the bird, so I’m assuming it was a flyover. It was my first BBPL of the year, so while it wasn’t a very rewarding experience, I was at least able to add it to my Orange County 2026 list (bird #196). Other than that, of note was a large number of sparrows around. They were predominantly Savannah Sparrows; my phone heard Lincoln’s a couple of times, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to locate any.
All great photos, Matt! I love the first shot as well as the soaked Coop. Was good to meet up again yesterday at the hawk watch, even though I couldn’t stay for long.