[EBB Sightings] Redwood Reg. Park, Stream trail, Sunday a.m.

Hi all:

A nice suite of birds were active and vocal this
morning at Redwood Park's Stream Trail accessed via
Redwood Rd., east of Skyline.
Calling Varied Thrush started out the morning, quickly
followed by:
Hutton's Vireo
Brown Creeper
Nuttall's Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Cal. Thrasher
Wrentit
Winter Wren
Bewick's Wren
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Steller's and Western Scrub-jay
Common Raven
Pine Siskin

A unique confluence of moisture and cold air fogged my
scope, so the photo-journal of Flicker-fest 2008 is
not to be.  There were 8 Flickers on the grassy area
just beyond the northern end of the Stream Trail
entrance road. At least 5 other flickers in the
surrounding trees. One bird was a Red-shafted /
Yellow-shafted intergrade, pictured on Flickr (oddly
enough) / Wingbeats.org.  This photo came about an
hour later after the sun came out and the equipment
dried out.

A hurried stop at Lake Temescal netted wet boots.

Yesterday a.m. I went railing at Arrowhead Marsh.
Clapper  rails in abundance. No other rail species
wanted to say howdy. No Short-eared Owls wanted to fly
by either. Two CACKLING GEESE did fly in and land in
the channel with Canada Geese. Exceptionally lousy
photos, instructive for size differential and breast
color, can also be seen along with the flicker photo
at the Al. Co. Big Year page of wingbeats.org.

Yesterday afternoon I dragged Mike Perlmutter into the
Berkeley Hills to look for a Tanager.  Cedar Waxwings
and Band-tailed Pigeons added to my ABY list, but the
Tanager did not.

Good birding,

Bob Power
Oakland, CA