Buff Orpington Duck.

Yeah,it's a hard terrain,the name mont diablo say every thing:)

Place is good Antonio,but everything is very far. Long commutes. That slows down everything. i am thinking that historically in the olden days ,even if there was a beautiful lake 2 miles away,it must have been almost impossible for people to see it .

great place you live on Emma,i forget allways of the google map :)this a water sistem interlinked,great for wild life as you say,you have years of spottings arround you :)i'am going to explore more often the google when i observ spottings it's a great source of information,thanks for the idea :)
i 'll check Satyen photos of Alasca(great place to),i know a little about USA wild because i saw lots and lots of docs from NG and BBC about your country,almost a continent:)it's my university,docs when well done are a great way of learning,thanks again

Antonio,some of these collect rain water. I know that all of them are connected to the Delta because often Otters are spotted in these ponds. They are really great for wild life.There are ponds on top of Mt Diablo but it is a strenuous trek to reach there. Heather farms is pretty and so is Lafayette reservoir. If you google search these you will get more info.
I am 45 minutes away from the coast. The pacific ocean is gorgeous. unfortunately it is a long drive .
if you want to see really beautiful waters ,Alaska is a must.
Stian posts some great pictures of lakes.
LAke Mic

Very interesting method,are these lakes natural or artificial?

It's a drake Buff Orpington Duck.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buff_Duck

All my spottings are mostly within a 3 mile radius. I recently found out about this lake. California is vast. Bit by bit,will keep adding.
Some lakes are well taken care of. This one was in a scary place! So returned soon.

you have many lakes in your area,from what i se in your spotting list,i love lakes,here there only ponds,lakes only in the south or water dam's

it is new to me too.Mallard is the moat common sighting!

new to me:)allways learning

This is a Khakhi Campbell,a domestic breed and highly recommended.

Another hibrid?cute duck,diferent