[EBB Sightings] Walnut Creek Birds

Made a quick trip to two areas of Walnut Creek today, most likely my last 
day of birding here this year.  We leave for Chile Thursday.

At Howe Homestead Park I found my last Contra Costa year-bird, a 
Red-breasted Sapsucker.  It was in a large leafy Walnut Tree near some old 
farm equipment.  Also present were Western Bluebirds and a White-throated 
Sparrow in the community garden area near the hill.  I walked the Kovar 
Trail until it started going up.  In the trees on the side of the hill were 
Chestnut-backed Chickadees and a Brown Creeper.

At Sugarloaf I walked around the picnic areas.  Up to 4 Flickers were 
around, a Nuttall's Woodpecker was heard, Juncos were in the parking lot, a 
Kestrel was in the lower open space area and a Red-tailed Hawk on a power 
tower to the east.  Walking a short distance up the Sugarloaf-Shell Ridge 
trail, I found more Western Bluebirds in a huge patch of mistletoe in a tree 
to the left.  I had really been hoping for a Phainopepla at either of these 
sites, it just didn't work.

Howe Homestead Park is near the intersection of Walnut Boulevard and 
Homestead Avenue.  Sugarloaf Open Space is at the end of Youngs Valley Road, 
south of Rudgear Road.

All told, I am finishing the Contra Costa Big Year with 193 species.  Many 
of my misses are out there, the time is just not available to go find them. 
Don't know if I will try it again next year.

As we say in the Deeeep South of Chile, Feliz Navidad y'all.

Hugh B. Harvey