A blurry photo (quickly taken while Mama Junco was out foraging for food) confirms three babies have hatched so far. We're all rooting for the fourth to hatch soon!

We're keeping the Hillview Community Center nest location secret but will continue to post updates.

Some Dark-Eyed Junco facts:
    +Juncos raise two sets of babies each year
    +They eat mainly seeds & insects
    + The babies will leave the nest within 11-14 days.

The Cornell Lab of Ornthology has a wonderful website- click here to learn more about the Dark-Eyed Junco.



 

The clocks have sprung forward, the Spring Recreation guide is out and the History Museum's annual display of beautiful spring blooms is underway.

The Civic Center's 18 acres (of which Hillview Community Center is part) has many hidden beauties that reveal themselves unexpectedly. From the amazing camellia display on the northside of the library to the stunning flowering pear tree tucked beneath the huge Deodar tree outside Room 2.

The bulbs scattered throughout Hillview are wonderful surprises each year. I laugh at myself when I'm shocked to see them-- having completely forgotten they exist.

A large clump of Narcissus is the first to pop-up each year in the desolate median between the front parking lot and the street. For 11 months of the year, the packed dirt strip is enlivened only by long suffering Japanese Iris and rangy street trees. However, in late February, a gloriously scented, white cloud of happiness suddenly appears.

Last year, a special spring herald arrived that we all hoped would repeat this year. Two Dark-Eyed Juncos raised their family outside one of our office windows. What a treat it was!

Four eggs hatched and two babies grew to adulthood. The entire office staff and "in-the-know" visitors followed the daily progress from newly hatched chicks to fledglings. Once they left the nest, it was hard to keep track of them but the reassuring chirps from the hedge convinced us they had made it.

This week, they returned! Their nest was spotted a few inches away from last year's spot and already has two eggs! We'll be following their progress and providing frequent status updates. No one really knows if it's the same birds, but we like to think so. ;-)

Opened in 1949 as an elementary school, the Hillview Community Center is home to the main Recreation Department office, the Los Altos Senior Center, numerous classes and camps as well as local community groups. This school year, Hillview is also the temporary home of Tiny Tots Preschool & Kinderprep while the San Antonio Club undergoes seismic retrofitting.

The grand old lady has good bones, but her joints, skin & internal organs are failing. Through it all, she valiantly struggles to hold it all together.

Our venerable Center recently received some much needed love! Although gutters & drainpipes are mundane, they are of significant importance to maintaining a building's integrity. Bright new downspouts and flashing were installed in key locations replacing pipes over 60 years old. Many of the pipes crumbled after removal.

This largess was an anonymous donation installed by a private volunteer with guidance from the City's Maintenance Services Center. This gift will help us make it through a few more storms while we await a new Center. We are truly grateful!

Comparison photos below (click on any photo for a description & larger image):