[EBB Sightings] Lazuli Buntings, what charmers

Hola listers:
Being more amateur than serious with birding, I am pretty conservative 
about id'ing birds and making posts. But I have truly enjoyed seeing 
Lazuli Buntings on the Wildcat Canyon Road trail on a consistent basis, 
so I wanted to share the info with those of you who might want to take 
photos or put em on your list. I know that they are not uncommon to 
some of you, but I am fascinated by their behavior and startling good 
looks.

I ride a mountain bike regularly in the late afternoons there. About 
the middle of distance between Richmond and Tilden is the spot where 
the old Rifle Range Road used to come down. There is a little bridge 
and its very shady with a large creek pool there. On the south side of 
the intersection as you go uphill, along what I call "Heart Attack 
Hill" (for bikers) are many thistles on the west side, then open 
country on the east. I have seen the buntings in the thistles as well 
as sitting right on the barbed wire fence, right along the road.

As for behavior, it's very interesting. All of you likely know how 
precocious Black Phoebes are. Well, there is this bunting that shadows 
a Phoebe! Acts just like em. For whatever reason, whenever I walk or 
ride where Phoebes are, they tend to fly with me, so to speak. If there 
is a fence, they will fly from post to post until I finally pass the 
point of their territory. My guess is that they are looking for insects 
that might fly up from footfalls. Anyway, the bunting did the same type 
of thing there recently, kind of flying along as I rode by.

On Wednesday, I was riding my bike on the trail and saw the bunting and 
braked. This time, it was NORTH of the road intersection by about 40 
feet.  I got within three feet of the little guy and he just stayed 
there giving me a great look. He was hanging on a weed, and it looked 
like he was trying to eat the soft seed in the foxtail-like structure 
of the plant. I may have seen a female in the weeds, but I couldn't say 
for certain. I finally left without scaring him off, which is a 
pleasure with any bird...

The first time I saw the fluttering blue in the thistles before these 
clearer sightings, I assumed it was bluebirds, because I am so very 
used to them here where I work (Rossmoor), even though the blue seemed 
different. Then I saw him clearly sitting on the wire and remember that 
some of you have mentioned seeing them near Jewel Lake.Of course, he 
had the more royal blue and was a lot smaller than a bluebird.  I 
waited until I had seen him four or five times before reporting this 
because I wanted to be sure

For photographers, the light is very good in the late afternoon. Often 
the bird is sitting right on the barbed wire and the full sun makes him 
glisten beautifully. A glorious sight.

In that spot, there are usually the Phoebe and assorted goldfinches as 
well.

Hope you see him and best wishes,
Lance Beeson
.