Eastern Meadowlark

Birding is like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. Look. Find. Observe. Identify. OK. Not quite like a jigsaw puzzle but, all the same a puzzle. I saw a pair of these in the depths of the 40s 2 - 3 weeks ago. Glasses in hand, I observed. The female being much smaller and more challenging to identify, I focused on the bigger male. Race stripes on head leading to a wide beak. Bright yellow chest with a black bib. Short tail. Legs set far back. Movement similar to a Starling. At first I thought Northern Flicker. But yellow chest did not match. While having my morning coffee, I spotted the pair feeding in the back field again. From afar, they appear tan in colour. Perched on the deck, I took a long good look wishing I were closer. Back in the house, I look through the field guides. I really like Birds of Canada published by Dorling Kindersley for its close-up photography. Thumbing through I came across the Varied Thrush but quickly eliminated for its occurrence in Alaska south to Montana. Pas ici. And then I came across the Eastern Meadowlark.