[EBB Sightings] Sylvia's sapsucker, and other feathered wonders

The Oakland hills Williamson's sapsucker was readily seen by all
observers this am. It has been working a huge, venerable pine tree in
Sylvia Sykora's back yard. The tree must be over a hundred years old,
and is no doubt catnip to woodpeckers; sapsucker sign (torn bark and
drilled holes) was all over its broad sides. Sylvia was kind enough to
have a chair on her back deck for observers. After several minutes of
fruitless neck cricking, I observed no birds. Then, I saw a bit of bark
fall from the tree. Hmmmm, I thought. Straining my ear, I faintly heard
the soft workings of a woodpecker. Rising and moving to the other side
of the tree, I observed the Williamson's far up the tree,  perched and
pecking, its laddered, buffy back to me, and its stiff, forked tail
balanced along the trunk. I got tired of looking up long before she
tired of her work. What a nice refuge for an out of place bird.

>From Sylvia's, it's just a short hop to Huck, which is where I ended up.
Again the eagles were perched and flying. As one of the pair landed next
to its mate, I couldn't help thinking, "Honey, I'm home!" Again there
was a large congregation of ravens, soaring and vocalizing over the
Sibley hills. It was one big, flying social group, with ravens talking
to each other in their complicated click and croak language, and
partnering for tandem flights, then re-partnering, and just generally
having a gay old time. How nice to have a flying social!  Thirty plus
birds then landed in a statuesque, canopy-topping madrone, at the far
ridgeline opposite the tennis club. Their interactions continued, with
some birds leaving and others coming in to take their place, with plenty
of raven commentary. As I was watching them, another mystery raptor flew
by. This bird was low in the canyon (below the level of the raven's
roost) and was all-over light brown on its back and tail (at least while
illuminated by the full sun). As the hawk beat its wings, I noticed
large white patches towards the wing-tips. The closest match that I
could come up with was a rough-legged hawk. Again, I welcome any
confirmation or refutation of this possible sighting.

It wasn't all spectacular birds, though...once again, I found myself
surrounded and charmed by some of the tiny denizens of Huckleberry, the
bushtits, chickadees, kinglets, wrens and the like. One RC Kinglet got
right into my face and stared me down; I was glad that it was a kinglet,
and not a raven. Sometimes, I'm not sure if I'm a stand-in for Snow
White (songbirds on her fingertip), or Tippi Hendrin, the Hitchcock
heroine of "The Birds". But hey, it's all good.

Debbie Viess