St. Luke's Anderson Campus Fields ~ January 5, 2026

I headed to the fields behind the St. Luke's Anderson Campus to see if I could find the Lapland Longspur that we had late last year during the Bethlehem - Easton Christmas Bird Count. Around 800 American Crows and 100 Fish Crows were scattered over the fields. I eventually found a group of 45 Horned Larks, but there was no sign of a longspur.

Horned Lark

At one point, I thought I caught a glimpse of a white wing patch on one of the birds. Thinking Snow Bunting, I followed it long enough to determine that it was a Horned Lark with a feather that was askew, causing it to look white in that area.

A Horned Lark with a feather askew.

One of the two Red-tailed Hawks was perched along the edge of the woods.

An immature Red-tailed Hawk.

Note the nictating membranes, acting like windshield wipers to clear its eyes.

The nictating membrames caught at the halfway point as they move across the eyes on this Red-tailed Hawk.

After taking those photos, it swooped down from there, grabbed a mouse, and flew off with it.

A Red-tailed Hawk captured a mouse.