[EBB Sightings] Mt. Diablo Rock Wrens, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Sage Sparrow, Calif. Thrasher, Band-tailed Pigeons

Today,Jan. 20th, Denise Wight and I spotted the following highlights on
Mt. Diablo starting at North Gate Road:

4 Brown-headed Cowbirds (amongst a flock of Red-winged Blackbirds) at the
last horse stable on the left (east)before the Mt. Diablo entrance
station.

.2 miles past the first ranch on the right: Red-breasted Sapsucker
Loggerhead Shrike, and Say's Phoebe(heard only) and later in the day, a
hybrid Red-naped X Red-breasted Sapsucker (see earlier post for details
and please excuse my calling it a Red-bellied once by mistake),

On Summit Road in the chaparral, we spotted a Sage Sparrow and a Calif.
Thrasher.

On the way back down North Gate Road, we stopped at several rock outcrops
and finally spotted a Rock Wren. At other stops along the road, we spotted
a flock of Band-tailed Pigeons flying overhead, plus White-breasted
Nuthatches, flickers, Nutall's and Acorn woodpeckers amongst the usual
suspects.

At Newhall community park, we looked for an unusual sapsucker
(Yellow-bellied) but settled for a Downy Woodpecker.

We spent about 2 hours at Mitchell Canyon but saw nothing unusual--our
favorite new bird for the end of the day was a Hutton's Vireo. We also
spotted a Wrentit without any visbile white iris.

--Ted R.--