i listened to all the veterans,books and tapes and had a couple rainy days on my hunt.and yes i saw birds in the field and field edges,though due to my inexperiance,they saw me to.i have not found any argument that turkeys like open areas in the rain and high wind.i also found it pays to have high end binoculars and approach open areas quietly and scan,if you see birds,back up slowly and make a plan.good luck.