ML624337809

Observation details

Unreal experience. Continuing from earlier today, found by Lydia Bruno. When I pulled up and parked in the dirt area that abuts building T1111, I looked over and noticed that the bird was on the hood of the car I had parked next to! Over the next 30 minutes the bird foraged in the gravel parking area, sometimes on Bunker Road, and then across the road in the short cut grassy area next to the east end of the main lagoon. At one point, I sat down in the grass and stayed still as it was foraging. The bird eventually worked its way to within feet of me! Not very skittish at all, as it was almost run over by a trio of mountain bikers zipping by as they entered the Miwok Trail, and it was nearly hit by a truck as it foraged at the edge of and in the road. I left the bird on the roof of T1111 where it was forging and preening. Yikes, wow, and other interjections! ID'ed as HY male(?), M.a. lugens due to the darkening on the crown, dark nape, white/clean chin, extensive white coverts forming a large bright wing panel (versus wing bars), dark rump (upper tail coverts), etc. Not a county or even patch bird, but by far the best looks I have ever had at this species. So cool!