It is not all that much, really, but while speaking with a park friend in Heather Farm this morning, I though I heard the clucking sound of a Green Heron. But as the conversation stretched, so did hte

This morning at 5:20 I heard a pair of Great Horned Owls dueting nearby. They were immediately followed by a bunch of Crow noise. The owl sounds stopped, and I returned to sleep. Hugh

Rosita became godmother to triplets today in a private ceremony held in Pine Canyon. I was just a spectator, but paid attention to the Swifts, Bluebirds and House Wrens along the way. An Acorn Woodpec

For two days now, I have been seeing several Western Tanagers inthe eucalyptus trees in Heather Farm Park. These trees are between the boat ramp and the chin-up bars at the south end of the large pond

Not being home much the last three weeks, it was nice to be back in my stomping grounds yesterday and today. The park was really quiet Friday, I have no idea.why. It was a little better today, but mos

Last month a male Great-tailed Grackle started singing, if that is what it is called, in the park. I told a number of others that it would tire soon and go back to Martinez. We have had them in years

The last couple of days we have had an adult male House Finch feeding a fledgling. About midday today, we had an adult Chickadee also feeding a fledgling--this one with a still yellow gape. After eati

Mount Diablo Audubon Society had a field trip today into Pine Canyon and as far as the Castle Rocks and Mount Diablo State Park boundary. We heard or saw a total of 53 species. Some of the specialties

When we had an MDAS field trip to North Briones April 5, there was water in all three of the lagoons. The third one, the one farthest away, had twenty-five Ring-necked Ducks. You should enjoy the flow

A year ago on Palm Sunday, I first saw the Muscovy Duck in the park. Though there are some days I do not see it, this bird, which was apparently "dumped," is doing well. It has been hanging out mostly

Walnut Creek's Heather Farm Park has very low water in the large, mostly natural pond. So far we have seen only one Mallard family of 8 ducklings, and that was one morning only. They disappeared after

A friend sent me this link this evening about the male Peregrine, Grinnell, who was found dead on a Berkeley street today. It is suspected he was hit by a car. Sorry to be the messenger. Hugh B. Harve

Today was the first time Walt D and I saw Mallard ducklings in Walnut Creek's Heather Farm Park. It is always near Easter, which is a little later this year. The two of us were colder than we thought

There has not been a lot of change in terms of spring birds in Heather Farm Park, but a lot of the winter birds have started slowly disappearing. There is only one male Ring-necked Duck and one female

I was gone for four days, so it seems a lot quieter in Heather Farm Park, except for the geese.. I did see a fair number of the crowned sparrows and one Fox. A Hermit Thrush also came out briefly. Bar

We have been monitoring three hummingbird nests for several weeks in this Walnut Creek park. Paul Ehrlich, in The Birder's Handbook, says incubation is 14-19 days. Yesterday numerous o servers saw the

Mount Diablo Audubon society made a visit to Martinez this morning to see the birds on two sides of I-680. We had lots of Tree Swallows over Moorhen Marsh, the ponds owned by Mt. View Sanitary. Some o

My first Swallow in Heather Farm was last week, and I could not even identify it to species. As soon as I saw it, it went behind a tree and I did not see it circle around. Ted Robertson and Bob Dunn h

We all know how cold it is, but there are currently three active Anna's Hummingbird nests in this Walnut Creek park. There are no known chicks yet, so far it seems to be incubation. It has been at lea

Not sure if it is the colder weather this week or a migration pattern, but we have suddenly experienced a slight jump in the duck population. After nearly 100 Ring-necked Ducks in the early winter, th