[EBB Sightings] Richmond: Brant + possible sharp-tailed sparrow; San Lorenzo sapsucker not found

Birders:

Shortly after 9 am today I refound the Brant that Alan Kaplan reported 
yesterday.  It was near where Alan found it -- along Richmond's bay 
shoreline, just northwest of a remnant pier.

I parked at the end of 51st Street and walked the path toward the bay.  
Where this path intersects the Bay Trail there's a gap in the fence 
that allows venturing a bit closer to the bay, to a good vantage point 
for scoping.  I could not see the Brant from there, but was able to see 
it by scoping from the first bridge (over a slough), a couple hundred 
yards further northward along the Bay Trail

Perhaps even more interesting, from my first vantage point a sparrow 
with a warm orangeish breast and face popped into scope view at the top 
of the reeds.  Unfortunately it was quite distant, and stayed in view 
for only a few seconds before flying northward (toward the slough) and 
dropping into the reeds, not to reappear during the next 15 minutes.  I 
thought the strong, low sunlight might have created the orangeish 
impression, but Song Sparrows seen later in the same light didn't look 
orangeish.  I believe it was possibly a Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow, 
and will give it another try during the next high tide.

Next I went to San Lorenzo's Fairmont Terrace Park (entrance at the 
intersection of Berkshire Drive and Manchester Road) to look for the 
Red-naped Sapsucker that Sue Stanton reported yesterday.  Between 10 
and 11:30 am the park was a woodpecker-free zone, unfortunately.  Bob 
Dunn (there part of the time) and I looked for sapsucker workings as 
well as the bird, and found relatively few.  A large eucalyptus uphill 
from the picnic area with three wooden tables and a barbecue grill 
showed workings on several of its trunks, but that's about all we 
noticed within the park.  A few deciduous trees in neighboring yards 
also showed workings.  If the bird is refound, I'd be grateful for a 
posting that includes the time it was seen as well as its exact 
location.

Good birding.

Dave Quady
Berkeley, California
davequady at att.net