My first wild American Flamingo! More often than not I hear about a rare bird sighting and I don’t bother trying to find it. The few times I have gone after a rare bird, on the occasions I’ve seen them, I usually only get a documentary very far away photo. Since I consider myself a photographer first and a birder second, rarity chasing doesn’t usually translate into great photos. While staying in Cape Coral Florida with family I heard about an American Flamingo sighting about 45 minutes south. It had been there for over a month so I figured I had a solid chance at seeing this bird and since it was very rare for one to be this far north I decided to give it a try. My first morning was a bust, no Flamingo but I did have a wonderful time with shorebirds so it was worth the trip. I decided to try one last time when I had a spare couple of hours one evening. I walked out onto the beach and saw birders looking through a scope and there it was, way out in the water, almost silhouetted by the sun, my first American Flamingo. I quickly took my documentary photo and started walking down the beach to get a better look. It was high tide and the Flamingo was out on a sand bar in the water. I knew from my previous visit that I would have no problem walking out there since the whole area was just over ankle deep. I slowly started my approach, take a few steps, take a few photos, repeat. Next thing I knew I had this gorgeous bright pink Flamingo filling my frame and with beautiful setting sun lighting up the bird. An absolute dream and one I never excpected to get the chance to photograph. I guess it shows, sometimes it’s worth chasing those rarities. This bird was certainly a highlight of my time spent in Florida this winter. Taken at Bunche Beach Preserve in Fort Myers Florida.
