ML646667263

Observation details

Elegant grebe with white throat, bright red eye, thin and relatively long bill. White cheeks extending down to breast. Absolutely incredible looks from the now filled in sink area. Pics from ~20ft away. This was an absolutely magical moment. The sink has filled up following the rain we got over the weekend, so there are a few section of open water in the area, though it is still multiple feet low. I made my way south along the edge of these new sections of open water. At the furthest south section, I noticed the Horned Grebe pretty quickly and was immediately getting incredible looks. It was foraging at the edge of the lake across the section of open water, diving down every once in a while. I crouched down and walked quickly to a section of tall grass along the edge of the water and laid on my stomach and waited. Eventually, the grebe made its way about 20 feet in front of me, where I got these amazing pictures. It was an incredible moment to experience. This is also the first time I've taken my new camera on a real birding trip, and this happens. So cool. I didn't note the bird taking off, so I assume it will spend the night here.