[EBB Sightings] Tilden park and misc east bay, 1/26/09

Finding myself in the East Bay running errands yesterday morning I took advantage by birding a few spots. Nothing rare but a few birds of potential local interest included:

Common Merganser (drake, Jewel Lake/Tilden Park)
Ring-necked Ducks (2m, 1f, Jewel Lake)
Varied Thrush (near end of boardwalk at Jewel Lake)
Hairy Woodpeckers (m and f, backside trail of Jewel Lake)
Band-tailed Pigeon (lone bird perched in a tree near J. Lake)

Along Alhambra Valley Rd. near Briones I pulled over to look at a loudly chipping Lincoln's Sparrow. The open areas there look like they might be potentially good for hawks although only RTs and kestrels were seen yesterday.

Finally, along E  18th street in a empty lot somewhere between Antioch and Oakley I observed a male Northern Harrier mobbing a Red-tail, always a treat in overdeveloped areas such as this one.

Good birding,
Dominik Mosur
San Francisco