When bird watching it is important not to miss the beauty in the most common species. There are many Rock Doves around the ponds in St. John's. I found this beauty at Kenny's Pond. It almost blended into the new dusting of snow on the ground but its red eye stood out bright and strong. I will never forget how surprised I was to see how beautiful the pigeons are when in flight. I photographed many at Quidi Vidi when they fly in to accept donor's feed. The detail of their feathers is striking and can never really be seen with the naked eye. The camera catches it all.
Though fairly common visitors to St. John's, this pair of Eurasian Wigeons were particularly handsome against the new snow. Note: There was sunshine on that day (for a few hours.) My picture didn't capture the best of these birds so now I have to find them again, when there is snow.
This is an unusual little guy. The picture reflects the amount of haze, mist and fog that was in the air on January 4 when this bird was photographed. It seems to be a House Sparrow based on its markings and shape, but.... its tail is forked like a swallow. My birding partner and I saw the tail and thought we had a new species but closer scrutiny indicated that this is a relatively common House Sparrow (hybrid). Every now and then a strange blend of birds will create something quite unique.
