Darling Ducklings Dazzle Tice Creek

Fourteen urban ducklings were born June 24 in a duck box, bringing to 70 the number of new wood ducklings in Walnut Creek creeks this year.

That counts three wood duck boxes on San Ramon Creek and three on Tice Creek, reported naturalist Brian Murphy, a volunteer with the Just For Ducks program of the Mount Diablo Audubon Society.

"Next we will see if we get second nesting from any of the wood duck hens," Murphy wrote in an email. Last year's count was 55 ducklings from four boxes, including two second nesting.

Also on the urban fauna front, a new beaver kit was born July 1 in Martinez. It will be five weeks old for Martinez's annual Beaver Festival Aug. 4.