Nature is filled with birds of different colors, some sporting brighter and more diverse plumage than others.
Since my first ornithological observations, it is this characteristic of birds that has always fascinated me. Passerines, including Warblers, were my favorite subjects of observations. Ducks always seemed, at this time, less interesting to me. The color of some people's heads captivated me, but that was it. I would later find out how wrong I was.
It was during a stay in Granby to visit my uncle Paul and his family that my father introduced me to the site of Lake Boivin. This is a medium-sized body of water where it is possible to observe different birds including dabblers and a few other specimens. While walking along a pontoon along a marshy section, my eye was caught by a small duck. The latter must have been half or even a third the size of the mallard. I sat on the edge of the promenade to observe it better.
It was when he was a certain distance from me and facing me that I gasped! Imagine a wooden duck that the artist would have decided to paint with all the colors of his palette, letting himself be carried away by a sudden burst of inspiration and you will get a little glimpse of the Branchu.
It was without a doubt the most beautiful specimen of birds I had the chance to see that year.