[EBB Sightings] Common Moorhen breeding in Heather Farm Park

Today the City of Walnut Creek had a machine skimming the algae and scum 
from the large natural pond in Heather Farm Park.  A single Common Moorhen 
has been seen on many occasions at the north end of the pond near the tules, 
at rare times two were seen.  I was worried how these birds might react to 
this machine paddling across the water.  When I reached the extreme 
northeast corner of the pond, I found two adult and five very young Common 
Moorhens.  The chicks still had red heads, not unlike their Coot 
cousins.This is, to my knowledge, a first for this location.

The second Nuttall's Woodpecker nest has a male nestling close to fledging. 
This morning he was poking his head way out of the hole, but still being fed 
by both parents.  This nest is in the large scraggily oak across the small 
canal on the west side of the trail along the western side of the natural 
pond.  The trail is temporarily closed during working hours for construction 
of a footbridge near the south end of this canal.

Hugh B. Harvey