Mike in the Wild

I remember where I saw my very first wood duck.  It was almost five years ago in Prescott, in Watson Woods, on the pond that's surrounded by a restored riparian preserve.  Ever since, I've never tired of pausing to observe and photograph one of these beautiful birds, whether it's wintering on one of Phoenix's urban canals or on display in an indoor Las Vegas aviary.  I didn't think I had anything more to say about the wood duck: the male is brilliantly colorful, the female plain; they don't breed in Arizona, but they migrate here during the cold seasons.  However I just discovered a new detail about them, and it was on the exact spot I saw my first ones all those years ago. Watson Woods and adjacent Watson Lake are always full of surprises, whether it's the variable amount of water flowing through Granite Creek or the variety of migratory birds visiting for the summer or over winter.  In fact, it was far-traveling grosbeaks and tanagers I was hoping to see o...