Crowds are flocking to Burnaby's Deer Lake Park to catch a glimpse of a rare bird that's native to East Asia.
John Prissel and Glen Govier were strolling through the park on Friday when they spotted the duck with its distinct vibrant plumage.
"I knew right away as soon as I saw it. It's almost surreal to see that species here," said John Prissel, a self-proclaimed bird enthusiast.
The friends described the bird as shy and only had a fleeting moment to capture it before it flew away.
"As soon as we saw it, we had about 45 seconds with it, Glen and I, and that's all we needed to take a whole bunch of pictures."
Prissel believes it is the same Mandarin duck that was spotted in May. The Burnaby Lake Park Association believed it may have escaped from a nearby hobby farm.
The pair had heard about the duck but this was the first time they got to see it themselves.
Govier had his camera in hand and was ready to capture it once Prissel had spotted it.
"I've got a 600 mm zoom on it, so I knew I could get in close and get good details. I was just anxious to get home and find out how they turned out," Govier said,
He was able to capture the duck taking a dip in the pond. His photos have been circulating online and are the reason why so many others have brought their own cameras to the park on Sunday.
A similar fowl has drawn crowds at New York's Central Park as well.
With files from CTV Vancouver's Ben Miljure and The Canadian Press
