Yellow-billed Magpie

One of the best birds of the trip. I was afraid we were going to miss this California speciality, so we drove up into the wine country around Paso Robles and parked in a suitable-looking spot. A few minutes later we heard some calling from oaks above our heads, and after a while this poser came and sat on a fence. The bill and eye-ring looked much more shockingly yellow than in the photo.