Hottest Hamptons Sighting This Summer Not A Celeb, But A Pink Flamingo
EAST HAMPTON, NY — The hottest sighting in the Hamptons this summer isn’t an A-list celebrity — instead, scores are flocking from points near and far for a glimpse of a pink flamingo that’s been enjoying some time at Georgica Pond.
Georgica Pond is located in one of the priciest zip codes in the nations, with celebrities such as Steven Spielberg, Ron Perelman, Martha Stewart and Calvin Klein all reportedly building their nests in the area over past years.
But it’s not the prime real estate but instead, the rose-hued wading bird that’s sparked a sense of wonder since she first arrived in the Hamptons in late May.
Find out what's happening in East Hamptonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
According to PBS, flamingos are found across much of the world, with their location depending on species. The Chilean, Andean, and puna flamingos are found in South America. The greater and lesser flamingos are found Africa, and the greater flamingos can also be found in the Middle East. The American or Caribbean flamingo is native to Mexico, the Caribbean, and the northernmost tip of South America, PBS said.
They’re not often found in the Hamptons.
Find out what's happening in East Hamptonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
According to Byron Young, president of the Eastern Long Island Audubon Society chapter, the sighting is perhaps only the third or fourth he’s heard of on Long Island. He’s only seen one other pink flamingo himself, in 1978 in Bellport Bay.
Young, trained as a biologist with a career spent at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, said it was “very rare” to find a pink flamingo in the northeast.
“They have been seen up the coast a few times,” he said. “Typically, they’ve been blown off course by a storm. We think that’s what happened here, that’s the speculation that’s been going around — that it was blown off course by a storm earlier this spring.”
Sometimes, he said, a juvenile flamingo will find itself lost. “Its compass isn’t set right yet,” he said.
The largest flocks of flamigos are seen in southern areas and in places such as the Bahamas, he said.
Young said the lone flamingo in East Hampton will likely be fine, the warm climate is perfectly suited to the wading bird. “There’s no really good answer for why it found its way to Georgica Pond,” he said. “But it likes Georgica Pond. It’s been feeding actively, standing on one leg, as flamingos do.”
The flamingo has generated a buzz, with birders flocking from as far away as Canada and upstate New York for a glimpse of pink out in the middle of the pond. “Some birders travel hundreds of miles to see a rare bird,” Young said.
Birders follow the eBird site, a project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, for news of sightings.
The flamingo, however, isn’t easy to spot for those intrepid birders making the trek to East Hampton. “It’s a hike down the beach, with not good public access, to see it,” Young said. He reminded that an East Hampton parking sticker is needed, too.
“It’s an unusual, rare visitor,” Young said of the flamingo. “It’s exciting to have it around.” But, he added, it’s a shame that the bird is off the beaten path and not easily visible.
John H. Probert, however, one lucky ornithophile who pursues wildlife photography as a hobby, spotted the beauty at the pond. Once he heard about the pink flamingo on a Friday, by Saturday morning at 8:10 a.m. “We had eyes on it,” he said.
He added: “Ironically, I was going to go to Bonaire with my girlfriend at the end of June to photograph flamingos. It’s been a dream of mine to see a wild flamingo in America, but the only possible place now is Florida, and that in itself is not 100 percent. I never thought one would be on Long Island in my lifetime. This goes to show how amazing nature is.”
Probert said seeing the flamingo in nature, and not in a zoo, was a rare treat. “One thing they do, they run their necks along water’s edge, scooping up insects. It’s so amazing!”
Probert did, indeed, later head to Bonaire, where he saw flocks of flamingos.
It’s not the first time a rare bird has been spotted on the East End in recent months: The colorful Lazuli Bunting, rarely seen in the Northeast, found its unlikely way to Flanders, drawing scores of awestruck ornithophiles who lined up near one woman’s bird feeder for a glimpse of the blue beauty.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.