ML645039828

Observation details

CONTINUING FLUFFIEST PEACHIEST PILLOWY DREAMBIRD! Thank you James and Riley for your fantastic find. After striking out for over an hour on Via Pacheco (Jim said we missed the bird by 10 minutes when we arrived, go figure) I had to feed the troops so we headed to the cafe and posted up on the patio facing the hill. I kept seeing action on the lines and poles along the street directly in front of us heading up the hill, a super distant shot showed kingbirds. We eventually made it over after lunch and as soon as we pulled up to the first stop sign there he/she was on the wire. Cue freak out. I messaged Caleb who was looking in the OG spot zone with others. Fairly calm photo shoot, despite passing traffic. Really didn’t want to spook that cherubic cotton candy fluffball of a bird, although it seemed quite content to be watching us and was loafing for the most part. Then a young curious kid driving by asked me what we were looking at and so I went over to tell him and looked up— birdo was gone, saw a flash head into or above the big trees on the NW corner of the street crossing (Via Riviera and Via Carrillo). Gah. I drove back to Pacheco and told the group there, led them back over probably at 4:30? Eventually two of them apparently had eyes on a flyby heading south. Circling the hoods nothing else came up and it was getting dark and the troops were restless so we left. I suppose I’m happy I didn’t see the flycatcher when we first arrived at 1:30, although I was bummed at the time I probably would have bailed a lot sooner, before crossing paths in a much more fortuitous fashion. Like instead of distant shots across a house/yard, the kids and I were right underneath. Sometimes when you lose, you win! Usually you just lose though. But not today haha. Not today. Country lifer! Will post MAX PHOTOS (grainy because the marine layer killed the light), later Monday/Tues.