This is a young sandpiper examining its reflection in the water. Or maybe it's a stilt? In any case, it genuinely seemed to be mystified every time it looked down and saw itself in the marshy waters.
UPDATE: Yep, it's a black-necked stilt, about a month old.
Yesterday's mystery photo was a trick of sorts: it's just a picture of John Wayne Airport here in Orange County. Here's a wider view from a different angle:
It is indeed a juvenile Black-necked Stilt. Judging from its appearance, probably around a month old. As the bird ages, the brownish edges on the body feathers gradually wear off, and the bird becomes blacker, although not as black as an adult.
There's a bird in Australia called a 'peewee', more scientifically a 'magpie-lark'. They will exhaust themselves fighting the bird behind a car's side mirror.
And thus the expression "bird brain"? A kitten will hurl itself at a mirror -- but then learn not to. In fact, my current cat seems to enjoy gazing at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, sometimes in the dark.
The stilt is hunting, not looking at itself. Odds are from its angle the reflection of itself is dim to nonexistent.