A beautiful freshwater lake ideal for boating and bird watching is the Vellayani Lake or Vellayani Kayal. Situated in Thiruvananthapuram district, this place is famed for the snake boat races conducted here during the Onam festival. The ‘Kireedam bridge’ or Kireedam paalam situated near Vellayani is a bridge that’s popular among the cinephiles in Kerala. The Punchakari-Vellayani wetland is again another major birding hotspot in the city. A number of rare birds like the Citrine Wagtail, Amur Falcon, Spot-bellied pelican, Eurasia Cuckoo, Greyheaded lapwing and many more can be spotted here during the seasons.