Male wood duck in Tice Creek, Walnut Creek. Photo by Brian Murphy, Walnut Creek, CA.

Gary:
I have just launched a blog for Golden Gate Audubon — thought it might be of interest to your readers, even if they live outside the borders of our particular Audubon chapter.

http://www.goldengateaudubon.org/blog

The focus is on Bay Area birding news and inspiration — local bird and conservation news, reviews of birding books, sites and equipment, and personal reflections on birding and nature. The first few posts have included an update on the PG&E falcon fledglings in downtown SF, a guide to nest cams around the world (there are more than 50 white stork nest cams in Europe!! Who knew?), and thoughts on why some people consider themselves “birders” while others consider themselves “birdwatchers.”

Might you be able to mention the blog in your column? It would be really helpful in helping build a readership. Thanks so much.
Ilana DeBare, Communications Director, Golden Gate Audubon Society, 510-843-9374 or 510-301-5573 cell
Idebare@goldengateaudubon.org
http://www.goldengateaudubon.org

Ilana:
My pleasure. You have an interesting and informative blog and bird-lovers throughout the Bay Area and beyond will enjoy it, I’m sure. /Gary

Hooded merganser in Walnut Creek, CA. Photo by Brian Murphy, Walnut Creek, CA

Gary:
The things you can learn by just looking at the birds in our creeks! I didn’t know what a hooded merganser was, and thought they looked like the common mergansers until I took a photo of a pretty bird in the creek.  I looked it up in a bird book and sure enough I had my first photo of a hooded merganser in Civic Park, in downtown Walnut Creek!
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Male wood duck in San Ramon Creek. Photo by Brian Murphy, Walnut Creek, CA

My friend Brian Murphy is involved in a program putting up wood duck nest boxes on trees in backyards and natural areas  along downtown creeks in the Walnut Creek and San Ramon areas. Why? To attract wood ducks back to the areas where they once lived before we humans came in and developed them.

These incredibly beautiful ducks are a special treat for all bird watchers, by the way, as you can see from these photos. Thanks, Brian, for helping to return our city creeks to their natural state. That makes them very special.

Got this note this morning from Brian:
“Attached photos are from below Las Lomas (high school) parking lot in San Ramon Creek (in Walnut Creek). Very nice going from no wood duck photos forever to nice wood duck photos in our downtown creeks. /Brian”

Very nice, indeed, Brian. Way to go, my friend! /Gary

Female (l.) and male (r.) wood ducks in San Ramon Creek. Photo by Brian Murphy, Walnut Creek, CA