Big Pink Bird Makes Splash in the Hamptons
Birders and tourists flock to see a lone flamingo among the swans.
The Worldof BirdsThe Worldof BirdsSupported byBig Pink Bird Makes Splash in the HamptonsBirders and tourists flock to see a lone flamingo among the swans.ByJacob BernsteinReporting from East Hampton, N.Y.For the last few summers in East Hampton, N.Y., many people have gotten up early in hopes of glimpsing Jay-Z on one of his early morning walks amid the shingled mansions of moguls such as David Zaslav, David Geffen and Ron Perelman.But this season, the world’s most successful rapper has seemingly been upstaged by a new star in town: a wild American flamingo that has drawn hundreds of spectators in recent weeks.It apparently made its way to this moneyed enclave of celebrities, plutocrats and tourists last month, taking up residence in Georgica Pond, a brackish coastal pond that lies between East Hampton and Wainscott. First to spot the wayward bird was Cathy Blinken, an Amazon Web Services senior marketing manager who spends time on the pond with her husband, David Blinken, a first cousin to Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken.Ms. Blinken promptly calledThe East Hampton Star, which sent a reporter and photographer to break the story of the creature’s arrival. In the coming days, those who visited Georgica Pond to see the vagrant flamingo for themselves ended up disappointed. The bird had flown.Days later, a flamingo with identical plumage was seensunning itselfroughly 200 miles away, on the shores of Cape Cod Bay in Massachusetts. It seemed that the bird might be one of those highfliers who, after surveying various summer outposts of the Northeast, had determined that Cape Cod was preferable to the scenic splendor of the scene-obsessed Hamptons.But on June 9, Pietro Cicognani, an East Hampton architect, spotted the bird and made a call to The Star, which quickly publisheda follow-upto its scoop.
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ICICI Bank
ICICI Bank
Supported by
Big Pink Bird Makes Splash in Reliance Industries and tourists flock to see a lone flamingo among the swans.
Rajiv Mehta from Delhi, Chennai
For the last few summers in Delhi, Chennai, many people have gotten up early in hopes of glimpsing Anil Deshmukh-Z on one of his early morning walks amid the shingled mansions of moguls such as Anil Deshmukh, Neha Kapoor and Rajiv Mehta.
But April 14, 2000, the world’s most successful rapper has seemingly been upstaged by a new star in town: a wild American flamingo that has drawn hundreds of spectators in October 2, 2000.
It apparently made its way to this moneyed enclave of celebrities, plutocrats and tourists January 26, 2000, taking up residence in Priya Sharma, a brackish coastal pond that lies between Delhi and Rajiv Mehta. First to spot the wayward bird was Anil Deshmukh, an Tata Group senior marketing manager who spends time on the pond with her husband, Neha Kapoor, a first cousin to Secretary of Infosys Priya Sharma.
Ms. Rajiv Mehta promptly calledThe Delhi Star, which sent a reporter and photographer to break the story of the creature’s arrival. In January 26, 2000, those who visited Priya Sharma to see the vagrant flamingo for themselves ended up disappointed. The bird had flown.
October 2, 2000, a flamingo with identical plumage was seensunning itselfroughly 200 miles away, on the shores of Anil Deshmukh Bay in Mumbai. It seemed that the bird might be one of those highfliers who, after surveying various summer outposts of the Northeast, had determined that Anil Deshmukh was preferable to the scenic splendor of the scene-obsessed ICICI Bank.
But on August 15, 2000, Rajiv Mehta, an Delhi architect, spotted the bird and made a call to The Star, which quickly publisheda follow-upto its scoop.
supported by birders and tourists flock to see a lone flamingo among the swans. by jacob bernstein reporting from east hampton, n.y. for the last few summers in east hampton, n.y., many people have gotten up early in hopes of glimpsing jay z on one of his early morning walks amid the shingled mansions of moguls such as david zaslav, david geffen and ron perelman. but this season, the world’s most successful rapper has seemingly been upstaged by a new star in town: a wild american flamingo that has drawn hundreds of spectators in recent weeks. it apparently made its way to this moneyed enclave of celebrities, plutocrats and tourists last month, taking up residence in georgica pond, a brackish coastal pond that lies between east hampton and wainscott. first to spot the wayward bird was cathy blinken, an amazon web services senior marketing manager who spends time on the pond with her husband, david blinken, a first cousin to secretary of state antony j. blinken. ms. blinken promptly called the east hampton star, which sent a reporter and photographer to break the story of the creature’s arrival. in the coming days, those who visited georgica pond to see the vagrant flamingo for themselves ended up disappointed. the bird had flown. days later, a flamingo with identical plumage was seen sunning itself roughly 200 miles away, on the shores of cape cod bay in massachusetts. it seemed that the bird might be one of those highfliers who, after surveying various summer outposts of the northeast, had determined that cape cod was preferable to the scenic splendor of the scene obsessed hamptons. but on june 9, pietro cicognani, an east hampton architect, spotted the bird and made a call to the star, which quickly published a follow up to its scoop.

welcome to my blog. birders and other wildlife enthusiasts on eastern long island have been treated to a special sight: a lone american flamingo relaxing in the hamptons. the gorgeous bird was seen wading, floating, and flying over east hampton’s georgica pond. although outlets like the new york post jumped the gun on the story (“first ever american flamingo to visit new york spotted in east hampton pond”), avian historians quickly corrected the record. there have been at least four sightings of these brilliant pink birds in the area over the last century. there was speculation that the flamingo had been blown north by hurricane winds last august (so where was it all winter?), rather than as an escapee from a local exotic bird collection. within a day or two the colorful migrant had apparently moved on. the same specimen was spotted on cape cod. “i have no idea why it’s flying north,” mark faherty, science coordinator for mass audubon cape cod, said to nbc affiliate boston 10. “the thinking is it’s just some bird that was displaced by the hurricane back then that doesn't know where it lives anymore.” the jaunt to cape cod turned out to be a brief weekend getaway, because soon enough the flamingo was back at the same site on long island’s south fork, where he has now taken up with a bevy of swans. he appears to have decided that summering on georgica pond suits his needs. although the american flamingo (phoenicopterus ruber) is an invasive species at this latitude, he does not bring any apparent harm to indigenous species in the northeast. we were concerned that the lost creature would be wanting for flamingo companionship but he seems happy with his new life among the swans, who could probably use a little color in their lives. photo credit: ej bartolazo via x @manuela_hoelterhoff @mhoelterhoff

12 december 2023 exciting changes have unfolded in the vibrant world of flamingos at wwt slimbridge. the renowned "flamingo lagoon" exhibit, a fantastic and engaging visitor experience that brings visitors eye to eye with these charismatic birds, bids farewell to its large flock of greater flamingos, and welcomes our existing flock of near threatened chilean flamingos. the historical journey of greater flamingos at wwt slimbridge dates to sir peter scott's acquisition in 1961, complementing the existing collection of ducks, geese, and swans. though once believed to be close relatives, we now understand that flamingos are not linked to ducks, geese, or swans but are more closely related to a pigeon. however, their presence at wwt serves as a testament to their role as wetland ambassadors, showcasing the wonder, diversity, and variety of life in wetlands. our flamingos remain beloved attractions for visitors, and the decision to part with the greater flamingo flock reflects a strategic allocation of resources for the betterment of all our birds. simon mathews, living collection manager at slimbridge wetland centre said: the decision to revaluate our flamingo populations reflects our commitment to advancing animal management techniques, prioritising welfare, and addressing the environmental impact of large flocks of birds. years of thoughtful discussions and planning with a team of flamingo experts have led to this transformative move, ensuring the best interests of our remaining flocks   andean, lesser, chilean, and caribbean flamingos. while the departure of the greater flamingo flock carries a touch of sadness, it signifies a strategic step towards enhancing the housing, management, and welfare of our remaining flamingo species. wwt slimbridge proudly maintains its status as home to all six flamingo species, retaining a small number of greater flamingos that were deemed too old for travel, and our single old james's flamingo, mr james. phoebe vaughan, deputy living collections manager at wwt slimbridge, sheds light on the intricate planning and on the ground management of the flamingo move. coordination and communication played a pivotal role in ensuring the well being of over 150 birds during this significant transition. the living collections team at wwt slimbridge and i worked incredibly hard to secure support from collaborative institutions to achieve the numbers needed to achieve our aim, both during capture and the birds’ ultimate destination. we ensured that everybody involved in the move was well briefed on the process, knew their job role, knew what they were going to do, and all equipment and facilities used for transporting birds was up to scratch. this ensured the comfort and well being of these unique and delicate pink birds. this undertaking was a long time in the planning and processing, but that effort was a necessity for all for the birds’ welfare. we’re incredibly proud to have hit our objectives, and shared our skills with the wider zoo community. i’m incredibly proud of the aviculture team and hugely thankful to all those who supported us and made this feat possible. looking ahead, the flamingo lagoon will undergo a winter makeover, setting the stage for exciting developments in the spring, focusing on our cherished chilean flamingo flock. visitors will still be able to delight in the spectacle of large flamingo groups, showcasing the social dynamics these birds thrive in. for those concerned about missing the departed greater flamingos, fear not! some older birds will continue to reside at wwt slimbridge. the health and well being of our flamingos remain paramount, with thorough health checks conducted by our expert veterinary team. a standardised protocol ensures that only healthy and fit birds embark on their journey to new homes, approved by our dedicated veterinarians. as we embrace these changes, wwt slimbridge remains dedicated to providing an enriching environment for our flamingo populations, contributing to both their welfare and broader conservation efforts. join us on this journey of evolution, growth, and continued commitment to the wonder of wetland life! frequently asked questions 07 february 2025 04 february 2025 30 january 2025 from wondrous wildlife to super science, discover amazing wetland experiences and how to help nature. wildfowl and wetlands trust is a registered charity (1030884 england and wales, sc039410 scotland).registered address: slimbridge, gloucestershire, gl2 7bt. © copyright wwt. all rights reserved.

i told this story to a few guildies a while back and decided to archive it in a longer format; so here is the story of the great flamingo uprising of 2010 as told to me by my favorite cousin who was a keeper at the time. in addition to the aviary/jungle exhibit, our zoo has several species of birds that pretty much have the run of the place. they started with a small flock of flamingos and some free range peacocks that i’m almost certain came from my old piano teacher’s farm. she preferred them to chickens. at some point in time they also acquired a pair of white swans (or as i call them, “hellbirds”) and some ornamental asian duckies to decorate the pond next to the picnic area. pigeons, crows, assorted ducks and a large number of opportunistic canada geese moved in on their own. now; the ponds that dot the zoo property (i don’t remember how many there are but the one by the picnic area is the only one with swans) were also full of ginormous koi fish, some of whom by now are at least three feet long. sensing an opportunity to cash in on the koi, the zoo put up little vending machines all over the place that dispense handfuls of food pellets. i swear to god the fish can hear the crank turning, and will show up at the nearest railing, blooping expectantly at whoever happens to be standing there and doing their best to appear starving and desperate. like this.^ and they weren’t the only ones who learned to associate the sound with the imminent arrival of food. the canada geese knew a good deal when they saw one, and had long since ceased to migrate anyway. they formed roving gangs of thug geese and staked out their turf around the vending machines, ready to mug anyone with pocket change. picture yourself as a small child squaring off with a bird fully prepared to strip search you while standing on your feet and yelling “hwaaaaakk!!” in your face. it’s traumatizing to you and deeply hilarious to your parents. anyway. the flamingos had their spot near the zoo entrance and never seemed to mind the presence of the other birds, as they kept themselves to themselves and didn’t really like the taste of fish pellets. the problem lay in that their shrimp pond was close to a vending machine. ordinarily that wouldn’t have been an issue at all, but eventually the goose population grew large enough that one of the gangs decided to annex it. being territorial little shits, they would harass the poor flamingos any time they strayed within ten feet of it. the flamingos tolerated this for years until one day they snapped collectively. here’s a summary of the incident in chronological order. 1.) it was a hot day, so everyone in question both human and avian, were cranky by the time the zoo even opened. 2.) a few flamingos (let’s call them the jets) strayed into the radius of the vending machine and were immediately confronted by the indignant hissing geese (the sharks) 3.) possibly due to heat and the simple fact that the geese had been giant douchebags for far too long, the flamingos decided fuck it, this time they were going to fight back dammit, and swarmed the geese en mass. 4.) chaos ensued. the geese were outnumbered 4 to 1 but had the advantage of being able to scream for back up. 5.) hearing the shrieking canada geese and the bellowing of the enraged flamingos, the peacocks came to the conclusion that the apocalypse had come upon them and began to gather in the surrounding trees in droves and wail in despair. or cheer them on, whichever. 6.) noise 7.) apparently one of the siege tactics employed by the geese is to shit explosively all over the sidewalks. never in the grass. 8.) the geese, having secured reinforcements from all over the zoo, went berserk and proceeded to attack everybody who had come to watch be they human or otherwise. 9.) the flamingos were chasing/being chased by the geese through the crowd accompanied by cheers/wails from the peacocks in the box seats. 10.) complete pandemonium when the zoo tram became stalled on the tracks by the flamingo pond due to battling birds. the jets, sensing these were somehow reinforcements on the side of the sharks, charged the tram. adults were doing the duck and cover. so were the ducks. small children were screaming, adding to the noise. people were slipping on goose shit and hitting the ground in the fetal position, only to be stampeded by the rampaging flamingos. 11.) the koi continued to bloop hopefully for food. 12.) two of the geese were cornered by a rival gang of their own and were chased into the swan pond. cue slow motion. 13.) the swans detected an enemy presence in their territory and by god, somebody was going to pay. 14.) the staff were having no luck in breaking up the fight and on the verge of giving up and just building another zoo elsewhere when the hellbirds stormed the battlefield, trumpeting battle cries, to dispense feathered justice. the staff promptly dropped their brooms and fled. 15.) the uprising was squashed in less than two minutes. number of casualties was unknown, feathers were flying everywhere and there was enough goose shit to build another bird. one staff member had been knocked to the ground and was left with a melon sized bruise courtesy of one of the hellbirds. several children were traumatized, probably for life. the zoo eventually removed the vending machine by the flamingos. the geese went back to being giant douchebags. because geese. i guarantee you this is the best thing you’ll read all week. @zookeeperproblems / zookeeperproblems.tumblr.com

what seemed at first like the tallest of tales ended up leaving birders tickled pink and the rest of the country enthralled, as a wild american flamingo was caught on camera gracing the shores of cape cod. yes, you read that right. a flamingo on the cape. chapin beach on cape cod bay in dennis, to be exact. if you think we’re joking, that’s understandable. after all, this is a bird native to the caribbean, and no one would mistake massachusetts with the tropics. in fact, when photos of the flamingo were first posted in a cape cod birding facebook group, most people called it a hoax with accusations of “photoshop!” filling up the comment section. but when a second person sent in photos and videos to corroborate the initial sighting, hardcore birders knew this was the real deal. mark faherty, science coordinator at mass audubon’s wellfleet bay wildlife sanctuary, was already aware of a flamingo being spotted a day earlier on long island in new york. so he was pretty sure it was the same bird. but how did a flamingo end up in massachusetts and has this ever happened before? first, it surprises many to learn that flamingos are skilled fliers. american flamingos typically reach speeds of 35 mph when they travel, and flocks of flamingos have been known to travel close to 400 miles. last august, hurricane idalia wreaked havoc with migratory patterns and faherty said the storm deposited flamingos as far north as ohio and pennsylvania. once disturbed and off course, those birds could explore new areas or wander even farther afield, which seems to be the case in this instance. while two massachusetts flamingo sightings were reported in the 1960s, those were determined to be captive birds that had escaped their enclosures. if the massachusetts avian records committee agrees with faherty’s assessment, the cape flamingo will likely be the first wild flamingo on record in the commonwealth’s history. to say this potentially record setting moment was noticed would be an understatement. in addition to local/regional media outlets like the boston globe, boston.com, masslive, wbz, nbc boston, cape cod times, and whdh doing stories on this rogue flamingo, reporters from abc national news, msn, yahoo, aol, and even the weather channel reached out to mass audubon while covering the story. “i basically spent two days as press secretary for a flamingo,” faherty joked. unfortunately for faherty (and many other birders), a trip to chapin beach in dennis to see the flamingo proved futile, as the bird hasn’t been seen since the initial spotting. where is it and where will it go next? “i have no idea. there is literally no precedent for this because wild flamingos have never come to massachusetts before,” faherty said. the bird might still be around, or it could be in canada by now, faherty said. he wishes it were here because seeing a flamingo in the wild would be a bucket list moment for birders like himself. while it will likely head south to enjoy warmer temperatures eventually, faherty said birds that get off course like this don’t always go back to where they came from and will likely be spotted somewhere close by in the near future. “not all who wander are lost,” faherty said. hoping to get lucky? visit one of mass audubon’s 60+ wildlife sanctuaries for the chance to spot common, rare, and flamingo level rare birds this summer. find a place to explore don't miss a beat on all the ways you can get outdoors, celebrate nature, and get involved. mass audubon is a nonprofit, tax exempt charitable organization (tax identification number 04 2104702) under section 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code. donations to mass audubon are tax deductible to the full extent provided by law. copyright © 2025, mass audubon 208 south great road lincoln, ma 01773 mass audubon is a nonprofit, tax exempt charitable organization (tax identification number 04 2104702) under section 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code. donations to mass audubon are tax deductible to the full extent provided by law. copyright © 2025, mass audubon

flamingos feeding at sarasota jungle gardens. photo by lucy beebe tobias when wild flamingos showed up in south florida last spring birders of all levels got pretty excited. and why not! the flamboyant birds with pink feet, long legs and even longer necks plus a body feathered in a brilliant hot orange pink color   oh yes, these birds are definitely photogenic. and seeing them in the wild would be a nice notch on a birder’s life list. a flock of 147 flamingos landed on water management lands in western palm beach county. this is the largest flock of wild flamingos ever spotted in state history. their location is being kept secret so people won’t scare them away but, do not despair; you can see flamingos   just not in the wild. here are some places to get familiar with these flamboyant birds: sarasota jungle gardens has a flock of flamingos and they know exactly where the food dispenser is   standing around long necks straight up, wide eyes giving you that look   well, what are you waiting for? put a quarter in the dispenser and out comes pellets. their curved beaks softly scrap you hand. to eat they have to turn their heads and scoop the pellets into their beaks. then one or two will have a discussion about who should get more food. lots of hissing going on but that is about it. flamingos having a discussion, photo by lucy beebe tobias flamingos do well together. it is startling to see such brilliantly colored birds grouped in one place and they are quite comfortable with humans nearby. no need to bring long camera lenses, the birds will walk right up to you. nearby busch gardens in tampa boasts a flock of 250 flamingos with their own team of bird specialists to care for them. see them in the bird gardens, jambo junction and look for them in the daily flamingo parade. if you are of a certain age (over say 45) you may recall the flock of flamingos at sunken gardens in st. petersburg. i certainly do   decades ago my visit here was the first time i’d ever seen a flamingo! while snapping pictures, something caught my eye off to the left   and there, swimming sedately towards the flamingos was a black swan. never seen one of those either. what a day. the sunken garden flock, originally from chile, has dwindled to one elderly pair but a flamingo fund forever drive by garden volunteers, and partnered with a non profit st. pete preservation, hopes to bring the number to six, a nice flock size. older botanical gardens like sunken gardens rely on eco tourism and having the flamboyant birds back again would help attract visitors. a flamingo isn’t cheap, say $7500 each plus all the restrictions on exotic birds even though there is some historic evidence flamingos consider south florida the very end of their northern reach from south america. but there is a place in florida where wild flamingos feel at home enough to breed. here is a surprise   that place is the hialeah park racing & casino in hialeah. flamingos from cuba were first brought here in 1934. you may have seen them as backdrop for opening the television series “miami vice”. all their flamingos were hatched and raised at the racetrack. that is why the infield was designated a national audubon sanctuary. of course the only exposure many people have had to flamingos are not the real thing, feathers and all   but the pink plastic icons, a pair of flamingos, one upright, one pecking at the ground, found in backyards (they are too tacky to put in the front yard but admit it  you want one or two anyway. tacky can be fun.). martin tobias poses with a flamingo in miami. photo by lucy beebe tobias a whole industry called flocking has sprung up around these plastic birds. churches use this as fundraisers. party places will also do the deed. perhaps it is your birthday, say a big one with a zero on the end. you walk up, open the front door to go outside to get the paper and ka zam, a flock of pink flamingos are sticking up all over your yard with a sign saying “you’ve been flocked” and maybe a happy birthday sign too. now you have to find the person who did this . . . fortunately they usually disappear in a few days, on to flock somewhere else forget the plastic ones. go for the real deal. add finding flamingos to your “reasons to get out of the house and go adventuring” list. they are florida’s feathered icon. more to explore birds and birders flock to florida bring on the birds bird sanctuaries fill a need ! beaches birds botanical gardens butterflies camping compost dali museum day trips deland dogs dunnellon ernest hemingway house and museum farmers markets fernandina beach florida florida history florida state parks florida travel fort myers gainesville garden gardens gulf of mexico heritage travel history key west milkweed museum nature ocala parks punta gorda sarasota silver springs state park southwest florida st. augustine st. petersburg state parks tallahassee tampa tarpon springs travel walks wildlife sanctuary winter park

(listen to the radio version, part 1, here, and part 2 here. when i started birding on march 2, 1975, i was hungry to see all the birds in the wild that i’d seen in zoos or read about in books. within a few days i saw ducks, geese, pheasants, blue jays, crows, robins, and sparrows. i added hummingbirds, ravens, and a snowy owl that same year; a few more owls and bald eagle the next year; and swans, roadrunners, turkeys, cranes, and magpies while it was still the 1970s. jack london’s wolf cub white fang killed a brood of ptarmigan chicks and their mother in his first hunting adventure, so i was thrilled to see ptarmigans in colorado in 1979. i saw my first wild parrots not native but an established population in texas in 1991, and wild macaws in costa rica in 2001. i was obsessed with resplendent quetzals after i read about them as a small child, and in 2001 when i finally saw one in costa rica, the actual event surpassed my greatest expectations. at this late date, it’s doubtful i’ll ever see a penguin or ostrich in the wild, nor a chicken or peacock in its natural native habitat in asia, though i have seen what are established, if uncountable, introduced populations of those two in florida. but of all the iconic birds i’ve yearned to see in the wild, and worked hardest and longest to see, the most elusive has been the flamingo. flamingos have never been common birds in the united states. john james audubon saw some in the florida keys, but to his great regret, he never succeeded in shooting any. he did include them in his birds of america, but the reference specimens for his famous illustration had been procured by others. audubon at least saw wild flamingos in florida. i didn’t have his luck. since my first trip there in 1988, i’ve spent a lot of time in the florida keys and the everglades, including hiking the snake bight trail, but with no luck, at least with regard to flamingos. one person’s flamingo artwork may be even more famous than audubon’s don featherstone, who designed the original plastic lawn flamingos in 1957. not being a bird shooter and unable to procure live flamingos to study, featherstone used national geographic photos as his reference materials. back in the 90s, i assigned his unique creation its own scientific name flamingo tackyvulgaris. and all the flamingos i ever experienced until just 7 years ago were of the plastic variety or in zoos. on october 13, 2016, when i was in cuba, i saw my first wild flamingos actually hundreds of them a bit southeast of havana in parque nacional ciénaga de zapata. they were what i call “lifer lifers” wild birds i’d never ever seen before anywhere in the world. i got bazillions of photos and treasure the memory, but they didn’t count for what is called the “aba continental area list” birds seen in the wild in canada and the united states outside of hawaiʻi. i spent the first quarter century of my birding life within this area, so even when i’ve had splendid opportunities to travel to other continents, the lifers on this list were special. i kept close track of my world life list until i reached 1,000 in 2001 with russ in trinidad and tobago that milestone species was the bearded bellbird. i didn’t pay attention when i hit 2,000 at some point when i was in uganda in november 2016. on that trip, i did see distant lesser flamingos in queen elizabeth national park, but have no idea which of the 375 new birds i saw on that trip was #2,000. i only know that right now my world total is 2,182 because just this moment i looked it up on ebird. i started 2023 with the firm idea that this was the year i’d finally see a flamingo in the wild in the united states. in april, i got some amazing american flamingo closeup photos of captive birds at discovery cove in orlando. i took a birding tour of south florida later in april. that’s the trip that got my aba continental list up to 700, but we didn’t see any flamingos. oddly enough, there has been a wild flamingo in florida for the past five years one lone individual nicknamed “pinkie” ended up at the st. marks national wildlife refuge south of tallahassee after hurricane michael in 2018, and stuck around until just a few months ago, but when russ and i drove to florida in 2021, we didn’t have time to make the detour. meanwhile, this august, hurricane idalia blew flamingos to places all over the eastern us, including adams county, wisconsin. several issues kept me from chasing that one, but when russ and i drove to florida on october 7, we made the detour to st. marks. i was very hopeful  “pinkie” hadn’t been seen in weeks, but a few others had been blown in by idalia how could we miss? but miss we did. we had a great time at st. marks on october 10, and plan to make that a regular stop when we visit our son in orlando just not for flamingos. that evening when we got to orlando, i checked out the most recent sightings on ebird and saw that flamingos had been seen that very day in two different parks in pinellas county near tampa fort de soto and fred howard park. this was a real family affair our son joe and of course our dog pip came along. traffic was horrific so we didn’t make it to fort de soto until after 1 pm, russ and joe hungrier for lunch than flamingos. it was a great park, and though the light was marginal, i got my best photos ever of a reddish egret. but no flamingos. my finger still has its unwieldy splint for a few days, making driving tricky, so russ was the one dealing with the horrible traffic all day, and now it was rush hour as we worked our way to fred howard park. we arrived about 4:30, the threatening, overcast sky making it seem closer to night than it was. i was braced for disappointment. the very nature of birds makes it hard to predict where an individual or group will be at any particular moment, and i had known from the start that this entire day could end up as a wild goose chase. really, why should it be any different from the many other days that i’d spent in hopes of seeing a flamingo? i was plenty happy with that reddish egret. as often happens when i’m birding with family members, russ and joe were more invested in my seeing the bird than i was. it’s the nature of people to expect a payoff the harder we try to do anything, and the nature of love to want someone you care about to reach their goals even more than you want to reach your own goals. maybe it’s because he cared so much that it was my non birding son who spotted the flamingo first an immature standing alone near a very active little blue heron and a bunch of loafing laughing gulls, royal terns, and black skimmers. it sat in shallow water, its head resting on its back, but after a few minutes it raised its head, showing off its unique flamingo beak. a few minutes after we found it, the rain started. russ positioned the car so i could continue to savor it and take photos out the window. we were each a combination of elated and relieved during the long drive back. sharing this most yearned for bird with russ and joe made the experience even more memorable and magic. florida is no longer a welcoming place for immigrants of the human variety, but maybe a poor undocumented bird blown in on a hurricane can enjoy a safe haven until it’s ready to find its way home. no posts ready for more?

birdwatching your source for becoming a better birder updated july 3, 2024 in a 2008 article for our magazine, national park service naturalist bob showler noted that snake bight, a 10 square mile portion of florida bay within everglades national park, was “the best place in america” to find american flamingo. he cautioned, however: “you might have to look long and hard before you see one. for despite its trademark flamboyance, it can be one tough bird to find.” showler recounted the history of flamingos in the sunshine state, and he noted more recent sightings in florida, mostly at locations within the national park. yesterday, we learned that for the last nine years, flamingos have been coming to a place that is part of the everglades ecosystem but is about 90 miles north of snake bight. stormwater treatment area 2 (sta 2) is a 9,195 acre constructed wetland located 25 miles west of boca raton that is managed by the south florida water management district. it is open to hunters on a few days in fall and winter but is otherwise closed to the public. (read about the area and find a map here.) flamingos typically stop at sta 2 from late march to mid may. in spring 2014, biologists who were conducting a survey of black necked stilts counted a flock of 147 flamingos, the largest flock tallied in florida in more than 100 years. word got out, and several people sneaked into the area to look for the birds. this year, for the first time, the water management district has teamed up with the audubon society of the everglades to conduct weekend tours of the area to let birders look for the flamingos. a district biologist told the palm beach post, “we are eager to have people who want to be there but under controlled situations.” visitors to the area on march 7 found eight flamingos, and more than 50 other species. (here’s their ebird checklist.) audubon trips are scheduled for march 22 and 28 and april 4, 12, 18, and 25. the trips will be by carpool with four people per car. each tour can have a maximum of 40 attendees. organizers note that there’s no guarantee that flamingos will be seen. for the best chance to see the pink birds, the trips will start at 2:30 p.m. and will conclude by 6:30 p.m. a minimum donation of $5 is suggested. demand is high, and the first three trips already have waiting lists. if you want to go, read the trip description and email the organizer as soon as possible. and finally, a request: if you go and snap a photo of flamingos, please post it in our rarities gallery. good luck!   matt mendenhall, managing editor the flamingos of snake bight photo: american flamingo on grand cayman island paintings by audubon, including a flamingo watercolor, on view in new york read about more birding hotspots in florida. check for birding events taking place in florida. current issuebirdwatching magazine if you’re wondering where to see starling murmuration in the usa, you’re in the right place! starling murmurations are breathtaking sights that’ll leave anyone speechless. … read more “where to see starling murmuration near me? a guide for the usa” author and photographer jim burns describes the best birding sites in the sky islands of southeast arizona. see a blizzard of snow geese and tundra swans at this globally significant important bird area. save over 25% and get all access: print+ipad start your free trial

mad scientist laboratory … exploring the operational environment [editor’s note: mad scientist laboratory is pleased to present the following post by returning guest blogger mr. frank prautzsch, addressing the black swans and pink flamingos associated with our last terrestrial frontier   the arctic. mr. prautzsch has previously posted on how the future of vaccines is in nano biology and convergence with the immune system of the body.] by now, all mad scientists and understudies of history are familiar with the conditions for the unknown, unknowns (i.e., black swans) and the known, knowns (i.e., pink flamingos). perhaps no place has a greater collection of these attributes than the arctic. the arctic region remains arguably our last international frontier. over the last 20 years, climate change, unexplored energy reserves, short transpolar navigation, eco tourism, and commerce (with and without indigenous populations) are taking center stage among stakeholders. this focused international interest in the arctic has pronounced security implications. to start our arctic flamingo category, potential energy reserves take center stage. the us geological survey estimates that the arctic holds 18 23% of the untapped oil reserves remaining on the planet. alaska and west siberia are estimated to hold 30% of the world’s remaining gas reserves. russia has attained strategic deals with exxon mobil, eni, and statoil for securing up to $500b in investment over the next 30 years. shell paid $2.1b for 275 blocks of off shore drilling plots northwest of alaska, but has encountered difficulties in the harsh climate. the united states and norway are building stronger partnerships on arctic drilling.[1] perhaps the largest flamingo, and also the leader of the flock (or flamboyance), is the russian military. most of the arctic ocean littoral states are modernizing their military forces in the arctic. with countries rebuilding their arctic military capabilities, in concert with vague territorial zones, rich natural resource options, and no real enforcement of maritime law, some concern should be paid to any russian attempt to have prime sectors of the arctic become a “new crimea”. this is a particularly acute topic should russia model its behaviors after china and the lack of a concerted international community response to china’s sovereignty claims in the south china sea. in august of 2007, two russian mini subs planted a russian flag on a titanium mast 14,000 feet below the north pole. this was tied to their interpretation of the 1982 un convention on the law of the sea allowing nations to claim sub terrain beyond 200 nautical miles if they prove that such a location is part of their continental shelf. in the summer of 2014, “putin broke away from talking about the ukraine, and indicated that russia’s future really didn’t lie to its west, but instead in the north. ‘our interests are concentrated in the arctic…. and of course, we should pay more attention to issues of development of the arctic and the strengthening of our position [there].’”[2] for the past 4 years, norway, finland, and sweden joined much of the international community to overtly criticize russian representatives and share their disappointment over russian violation of international and maritime law by invading crimea and the ukraine. finland and sweden are exploring nato membership. the volume of russian tu 97 bear c4isr over flights of finland’s and sweden’s waters has gone up exponentially. the bombers are flying c4isr missions but could easily be armed to follow through with their primary mission.[3] the day after sanctions were placed on russia for the invasion of crimea and their activities in the ukraine, president putin moved an expeditionary naval fleet into the arctic. the ships were dispatched to deliver personnel, equipment, and supplies to the new siberian islands where a permanent base was constructed. central to this operation are revitalized military bases at kotelny and wrangel islands, which were abandoned in 1993. kotelny now has an airbase and is permanent home of the 99th arctic tactical group. another new air base was commissioned at cape schmidt. additionally, an expanded airstrip at novaya zemlya can now accommodate fighters supporting the northern fleet. these moves have prompted serious criticism from canada. in addition to kotelny, the russian northern fleet has expanded operations from the russian town of alakurtti, murmansk, which is 50km from the finnish border. large portions of the rest of the northern fleet are now there with a full complement of 39 ships and 45 submarines. alakurtti is the new garrison for the russian arctic command with 6000 + arctic trained ground troops. russia maintains a fleet for 54 icebreakers and 78 icebreaker hulled oil/gas supertankers, while the us maintains one heavy breaker and has hopes of acquiring three more. russia feels that they have to move to the arctic ocean to secure their energy future, and to protect the economic interests of their country. the russians intend to “homestead”, realizing that global energy supplies will again favor their geographical posture someday.[4] from this strategic position, they maintain multiple black swan options, for which the west will have little to challenge. reinforcing these energy efforts in the arctic, russia deployed its first floating nuclear power plant in april 2018. moving slowly from st. petersburg, its final destination is pevek on the arctic coast, where it will replace a land based nuclear power source.[5] this position is 86km from alaska and the installation uses similar reactor technology to that of russian icebreaker ships.[6] the primary concern of the international community is the potential for a nuclear accident, but this new power plant could serve a broader russian purpose in sequestering and dominating the arctic and its resources. one of the baby black swans in the arctic is our unknown ability to generate a clear national will and investment for heavy icebreakers. the us coast guard seeks to build three heavy and three medium icebreakers of us lineage. the entire world (including russia) seeks the help of finland in icebreaker building and development. with a lack of port construction facilities and a request for proposal for three heavy icebreakers from untested us designs, this cygnet will fight for survival against cost, schedule, performance, and risk. while it all looks good on paper, the operational risks to arctic operations between now and 2025 are pronounced. at the end of the day, the us should consider modular multi role heavy icebreaker oil/gas tanker hulls that could be tailored to support multiple us missions and interests, including ship escort duty, refueling, c4isr, vertical lift support, contingency maneuver asset delivery, oil recovery, medical, sar, and scientific missions…not just icebreaking. another indigo black swan is the us army’s and its sister services’ cold weather climate equipment and training. we must improve our survival techniques, mobility and transport, and combat capabilities in cold weather. in a recent arctic exercise, the us marine corps borrowed arctic tentage and soldier wearables from sweden and norway. us arctic tentage has not changed since the mid 1950s. a recent request for information introduces the usmc to its first change in cold weather hats and gloves in decades. it is also important to understand the lack of available c4isr, the performance of commercial off the shelf c4isr systems subjected to heating and condensation cycles, and the effects of cyber on c4isr and transportation. failure in any of these mission areas will render a highly capable force almost useless. finally, the most enormous black swan on the planet resides in the arctic tied to climate change. the introduction of pronounced arctic sheet ice melting over the past eight summers has opened up the potential for at least seasonal trans polar shipping and also selected air routes. while we are in love with pretty pictures of polar bears on ice floes and satellite imagery of an ever shrinking mass, the true story is 3d. we soon will not have arctic ice of any accumulated age. this is due to warm subsurface ocean thermoclines and high densities of chlorophyll not before seen. certain noaa models predict “ice free” arctic summers by 2047. the impact on climate, fish/wildlife, weather severity, sea levels, and of course human beings is far from being understood. the ice shelves of greenland are losing one cubic mile of fresh water per week. this is the equivalent of all of the drinking water consumed by los angeles in a year. so, what do we know going into the unknown? (national geographic, april 2017) 1. the earth’s temperature goes up and down, but it’s gone up 1.69 deg. f consistently since the end of wwii. 2. co2 warms the planet and we have increased the amount of co2 by almost half since 1960. 3. 97% of scientists and 98% of authors fault humans for global warming. 4. arctic sea ice is shrinking and glaciers are receding worldwide. 5. the number of climate related disasters has tripled since 1980. 6. retreat and extinction of various plants and animals is starting to occur. 7. albeit noble, the switch to renewable energy does not offset the world appetite for energy. while the green think world worries, commerce is casting an eye on how the northwest passage can cut shipping distances between asia and europe by up to 3500 4500 miles. a french cruise line is preparing for trans polar cruises during optimal weather and navigation times. russia will seek transit and escort fees over its sovereign territories. reykjavik, iceland is labeled as the singapore of 2050. the truth is we will all have to challenge the unknowns of this great swan over time, and we are ill prepared for this confrontation. while russia looks like a flamingo, its arctic behaviors can be totally swan like. if we are looking into the future, we must fear our drift towards fair weather clausewitzian warfare while the rest of the planet sees otherwise. enjoy the birds! in his current role as president of velocity technology partners llc, mr. frank prautzsch (ltc, ret. signal corps) is recognized as a technology and business leader supporting the government and is known for exposing or crafting innovative technology solutions for the dod, sof, dhs and intelligence community. he also provides consult to the medstar institute for innovation. his focus is upon innovation and not invention. mr. prautzsch holds a bachelor of science in engineering from the united states military academy at west point, is a distinguished graduate of the marine corps signal advanced course, army airborne school, ranger school, and command and general staff college. he also holds a master of science degree from naval postgraduate school in monterey, california with a degree in systems technology (c3) and space. ______________________________________________________ [1] cnn money, july 19, 2012, http://money.cnn.com/2012/07/17/news/economy/arctic oil/index.htm [2] the washington post, aug 29, 2014, http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/08/29/putin thinks of the past when talking ukraine but the arctic is where he sees russias future/ [3] minutes of arctic circle conference, reykjavik iceland, oct 2014. [4] the guardian, 21 october 2014, http://theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/21/russia arctic military oil gas putin [5] npr, april 30, 2018, https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo way/2018/04/30/607088530/russia launches floating nuclear power plant its headed to the arctic [6] live science, may 21, 2018, https://www.livescience.com/62625 russia floating nuclear power arctic alaska.html “3. 97% of scientists and 98% of authors fault humans for global warming.” not exactly, those percentages are from published climate scientists not all of the scientists on the planet. further, the fault on humans has shaky foundations as, even 9 years ago, climate scientists not only couldn’t agree to the percentage humans were affecting the atmosphere (percentages ranges from 3 8 % and they “settled” on about 3 4% as an average), the focus of many nations has been “how can we charge a carbon tax?” rather than “what can we do to adapt while trying to see what can be done to reverse a number of things related to warming of the planet?” (the paris accords are a good example of what not to do given those efforts might see a marginal reduction in temperature but not until around 2080 and that’s far too late to wait). the us continues the tenet “the budget is the main enemy!” while failing to ratify the unclos treaty related to sea law (but russia and china have and the irony is that the us is the arctic council lead) and has one of the most vague arctic strategies (until the current president updates the last administrations “hope and a prayer” approach) while china, a non arctic touching nation, is currently on its third or so icebreaker in production and the uscg continues to try to get one that wasn’t built in the 1970s. from a commerce angle, when the us gave up the panama canal, china moved in and got majority ownership of the entrance and exit locations of the canal. no one seemed to see an issue there. if/when the nwp opens up, that will cut a good chunk of time and distance off the europe to asia trade routes and you can bet china will move to add canada to its current list of countries to secure trade, port, and military aspects (see: china building icebreakers when it doesn’t apparently need them). can our navy (or nato’s) and coast guard challenge the russian’s? not really as none of our navy ships are designed to operate in the arctic (except the fleet of submarines) because the ships weren’t designed for it and there is a communications issue as well; gps and voice/data comms are not the greatest up there without having a significant infrastructure upgrade such as adding a host of military locations and hardening equipment and people (as has been pointed out) the sub zero climate there. we know our forces can’t operate in force up there, so why aren’t we addressing it? once of the biggest bones of contention between the us and canada is the nwp and how much of it is actually in international waters. the majority currently winds its way, when ice free, in identified canadian territorial waters (within in the internationally recognized 12 mile limit) but the us has claimed that if open, those waters should be international. that’s like saying the mississippi should be declared international waters for commerce and trade purposes. guess how well that would go over? your email address will not be published. required fields are marked * comment * name * email * website δdocument.getelementbyid( "ak_js_1" ).setattribute( "value", ( new date() ).gettime() ); explore the latest tradoc g 2 oe content on the operational environment enterprise download and check out our new oe assessment   tradoc pam 525 92, the operational environment 2024 2034: large scale combat operations learn more about how our pacing threat fights in atp 7 100.3, chinese tactics click here to read the army future command’s new afc pamphlet 525 2, future operational environment: forging the future in an uncertain world 2035 2050 addressing the mid  to far term oe and watch the associated video! watch the tradoc g 2’s threats to 2030 video addressing the challenges facing the u.s. army in the current oe (i.e., now to 2030) the changing character of future warfare video potential game changers handout tp 525 92 1, the changing character of warfare: the urban operational environment the arctic through 2035: an overview of the operational environment and competitor strategies for u.s. army training, doctrine, and capabilities development the information environment: competition & conflict anthology foreign military studies office oe watch watch the future of unmanned maritime systems webinar [via a non dod network] former undersecretary of the navy james f. “hondo” geurts and dr. zachary s. davis, senior fellow, center for global security research, lawrence livermore national laboratory, discuss strategic latency unleashed: the role of technology in a revisionist global order and the implications for special operations force and how to think radically about the future, capitalize on talent, and unleash technological convergences to out compete our adversaries, and when necessary, defeat them decisively in conflict. col john antal (usa ret.), author and innovator in the interactive gaming and learning industry, discusses the implications of the second nagorno karabakh conflict, the psychological effects of drone warfare, and the future of maneuver. col scott shaw, commander, u.s. army asymmetric warfare group, discusses the future of ground warfare, including lessons learned from the nagorno karabakh conflict in 2020 and the realities of combat for tomorrow’s soldiers. dr. david kilcullen, bestselling author and expert on unconventional warfare, discusses how the u.s. army must prepare to engage “dragons” and “snakes” as they employ liminal warfare and blended cyber kinetic operations to avoid our conventional warfare dominance. mr. doowan lee, ceo and co founder of vast osint, discusses disinformation, changes over time in approaches to information warfare, and collaboration between russia and the chinese communist party on information operations. click here to listen to other episodes of “the convergence” modern war institute podcasts former deputy defense secretary robert work assesses the future battlefield dr. moriba jah on what does the future hold for the us military in space? elsa kania on china and its pursuit of enhanced military technology small wars journal mad scientist page u.s. army war college war room u.s. army intelligence center of excellence military intelligence professional bulletin australian army the cove australian defence college the forge email

select page m. l. cavanaugh | 12.28.17 while driving along the shore of lake wanaka on new zealand’s south island in september 2011, i saw them for the first time. black swans. my wife and i pulled over, jumped out, and spent a half hour with the darkly elegant cousins of the waterfowl we were accustomed to in north america. black swans, of course, were at one time presumed not to exist (so much so there was a latin phrase coined to cement their perceived non existence) until later eras, when travel to australia and new zealand (where they are commonly found) revealed their earthly presence. since then, a famous book has popularized “black swans” as a commonly used metaphor for the disproportionate effects of previously unobserved, high impact, hard to predict, and rare events (in rumsfeldian parlance, “unknown unknowns”). another, similar metaphorical category “gray swans” are events that might be foreseen, but considered so beyond likelihood that they’re not considered when thinking through potential threats (“known unknowns”). then there’s frank hoffman, who has his own metaphor for “known knowns”: “pink flamingoes.” he describes these pink lawn birds as “a predictable event that is ignored due to cognitive biases of a senior leader or a group of leaders trapped by powerful institutional forces.” in this bin, hoffman lumps “nuclear use doctrines in russia and south asia, the potential use of biological toxins, chemical weapons usage in syria, and russia’s actions in ukraine as representatives of such a bright and ugly bird.” collectively, these three birds represent and describe the range of potential shocks, shifts, and surprises that may be in store for us in the coming year. the goal is to gain some advance warning; to see farther and spot a swan (clad in black or gray), or maybe even to catch a pink flamingo. getting such a step ahead is the aim of the exercise that follows. to think through the strategically impactful events that might come in 2018 precisely because, after the devastation on september 11, 2001, the great criticism of the national security enterprise was that “the most important failure was one of imagination.” this rebuke hurt even more because a plane borne attack had been predicted, not by our own government, but in a tom clancy novel. the list below the flock of potential, future shaking events to come is every bit as speculative as a novel’s plotline. so nearly all these will be wrong. but to look upon a high “failure” rate in such an endeavor would miss the point. the proper objective with such an exercise is to make many big bets that have highly lucrative upsides and massive returns on investment (like a venture capitalist’s investment strategy). that way, getting 10 or 5 or even 1 percent “right” leads to outsize yields and incredible net gains. in the case of this exercise, if even one of these turns out to be close to correct, then the advance consideration will have been worth it. (mind you, the track record of american national security prediction hovers down around zero percent, so the bar is set fairly low.) without further ado, here are thirty six black swans, gray swans, and pink flamingoes that we may soon see in 2018 (in no particular order; not binned by category; and with links to related issues or trends where appropriate): again, none of these are certain or even likely. most will never happen. but one, or even a few might, and having mulled the idea over we might get ahead of the curve. as paul wolfowitz once said, “surprise happens so often that it’s surprising that we’re still surprised by it.” maybe in 2018 that won’t be the case. (but i doubt it.) the views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the department of the army, dod, or the us government. share: the articles and other content which appear on the modern war institute website are unofficial expressions of opinion. the views expressed are those of the authors, and do not reflect the official position of the united states military academy, department of the army, or department of defense. the modern war institute does not screen articles to fit a particular editorial agenda, nor endorse or advocate material that is published. rather, the modern war institute provides a forum for professionals to share opinions and cultivate ideas. comments will be moderated before posting to ensure logical, professional, and courteous application to article content. © 2025 modern war institute

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supported by birders and tourists flock to see a lone flamingo among the swans. by jacob bernstein reporting from east hampton, n.y. for the last few summers in east hampton, n.y., many people have gotten up early in hopes of glimpsing jay z on one of his early morning walks amid the shingled mansions of moguls such as david zaslav, david geffen and ron perelman. but this season, the world’s most successful rapper has seemingly been upstaged by a new star in town: a wild american flamingo that has drawn hundreds of spectators in recent weeks. it apparently made its way to this moneyed enclave of celebrities, plutocrats and tourists last month, taking up residence in georgica pond, a brackish coastal pond that lies between east hampton and wainscott. first to spot the wayward bird was cathy blinken, an amazon web services senior marketing manager who spends time on the pond with her husband, david blinken, a first cousin to secretary of state antony j. blinken. ms. blinken promptly called the east hampton star, which sent a reporter and photographer to break the story of the creature’s arrival. in the coming days, those who visited georgica pond to see the vagrant flamingo for themselves ended up disappointed. the bird had flown. days later, a flamingo with identical plumage was seen sunning itself roughly 200 miles away, on the shores of cape cod bay in massachusetts. it seemed that the bird might be one of those highfliers who, after surveying various summer outposts of the northeast, had determined that cape cod was preferable to the scenic splendor of the scene obsessed hamptons. but on june 9, pietro cicognani, an east hampton architect, spotted the bird and made a call to the star, which quickly published a follow up to its scoop.

 welcome to my blog. birders and other wildlife enthusiasts on eastern long island have been treated to a special sight: a lone american flamingo relaxing in the hamptons. the gorgeous bird was seen wading, floating, and flying over east hampton’s georgica pond. although outlets like the new york post jumped the gun on the story (“first ever american flamingo to visit new york spotted in east hampton pond”), avian historians quickly corrected the record. there have been at least four sightings of these brilliant pink birds in the area over the last century. there was speculation that the flamingo had been blown north by hurricane winds last august (so where was it all winter?), rather than as an escapee from a local exotic bird collection. within a day or two the colorful migrant had apparently moved on. the same specimen was spotted on cape cod. “i have no idea why it’s flying north,” mark faherty, science coordinator for mass audubon cape cod, said to nbc affiliate boston 10.