AROUND THE B END DISCOVE RY
Flamingo in Residence Port A’s perfect celebrity snowbird makes a home on the quiet side of the island By Mandy Shelton
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Photos by John Morris and Angie Birmingham, M. Photog
he flamingo casually waded atop knobby-kneed legs in the aromatic muck among the egrets, terns and ducks at Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center. One eye darted about in profile, perfectly cognizant of the activity but not quite sure what all the fuss was about. Just as unassumingly as it had begun, the show was over. The flamingo struck that famous single-legged pose, curled back its neck and settled into an afternoon nap. Rae Mooney, Nature Preserve Manager for the City of Port Aransas, said she was first notified of three flamingos at the preserve in fall of 2023. “Over time, they all left. We assume one of them came back, but it could be a different flamingo.” No one knows for sure the age or sex of the flamingo, she added, but “it is widely believed that this flamingo is a result of Hurricane Idalia.” The paparazzi ebbs and flows, and though photographer John Morris has seen the observation deck “essentially shoulderto-shoulder” with birders, “It’s kind of normal now,” he said. The flamingo has a routine of feeding, preening and the occasional “crazy bathing scene” Morris has captured, to the delight of the internet. The hallmark of bird photography, Morris shared, is in the eye. “If you don’t have an eye, you don’t have a shot, dude,” he said. “You’re looking for that little glint in the eye, right there.” Most birds 64 The Bend
The flamingo is almost always visible from the Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center’s main observation platform. It can also be seen on the southern bank with pelicans.
have three eyelids, which can appear foggy in an otherwise perfect shot. At least, Morris continued, “it’s not a tagged bird, which is kind of nice.” Photos of whooping cranes with research bands can make the birds look like they are on house arrest, he joked. Watching the flamingo, he noted that “it seems to be able to coexist in close proximity to the pelicans. It’s kind of comical: these big, beefy birds, and this pink bird comes strolling in …” Still, Morris insisted the flamingo is just a cool bird in its own right, and he resists the temptation of “giving it human traits.” Mooney echoed that sentiment. “As a scientist, I don’t anthropomorphize animals. Vagrant birds have shown up in weird locations forever due to storms or, in more recent times, from ships,” she said. “They either die, find their way home or just live out their lives in that new location, often without others from their species.” Flamingos are so social that their collective noun is “flamboyance,” and one of the more popular rumors flying around town involves a brokenhearted flamingo who has lost its mate for life. “Monogamy within a season is the rule,” said Dr. Dale Gawlik, ornithologist with the Harte Research Institute, though flamingo flings can last beyond a summer romance. While some switch mates annually, Gawlik continued, “pairs of some individuals, as in people, are reported to stay together for many years.” The perfect avian celebrity for Port A is just here for the season and only really famous for being from out of town. The sunburnt-pink appearance even blends in with the locals, like the Roseate Spoonbill, Port A’s official city bird.
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