A vibrant rainbow beneath a paler one spans a tree-covered shore and is reflected in the dark water of the lagoon.

Last weekend I got out to the lagoon for a birthday walk. On our way out, it was drizzly and a bit dreary, but just a few minutes after we arrived, the sun peaked through and this amazing double rainbow formed. It was fun to see cyclists stopped by the side of the road, folks with their dogs, and fellow bird enthusiasts just in awe of the sight. It felt like we were all experiencing this wonder together even though we were strangers keeping apart due to COVID. I’ve never seen a rainbow that was so vivid, much less a double one like this, so it made my birthday feel extra special.

There were also lots of fancy winter birds, so I couldn’t resist trying to capture some shots of them as well. These ones are pintails and I just love their elegant feathers. It might seem like the females are more plain than the males, but look closely at the feather pattern on their bodies.

A female pin tail keeps watch while a male pin tail tucks its head under a wing with one eye peeking out. A dunlin is standing on the shore.

We also saw wigeons! The American wigeons have the green section on their heads and the Eurasian wigeons have a rusty red-coloured head. We only saw one Eurasian wigeon amongst all the American ones. They all have this very striking pale blue beak.

A Eurasian wigeon floats alongside an American wigeon in dark water.

A whole bunch of American wigeons float together.

A pair of male and female American wigeons. The female is preening her feathers.

Even if it is a bit cold and more likely than not to be raining, living here is pretty spectacular in the winter.

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Winter Birding

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