Tag Archives: flamingo

Flamingos on Flamingo Lake

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Such beautiful plumage colours on these flamingos sighted in the lake by Harbour Club Villas.

The flamingos have returned to Flamingo Lake by Harbour Club Villas and Marina on Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands. Just recently, a friend called me to tell me she could see the flamingos feeding in the lake. She ran down to pick me up and off we drove just before sunset to find and photograph  them.

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These two were honking and ruffling their wings.

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It was difficult to capture them because they were busily feeding with their heads in the water.

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The sun was going down as a small flock of flamingos were feeding in the lake.

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Preening, neck stretching and ruffling their wings.

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Such beautiful birds with amazing colours

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They mainly feed during the day………this one had the most beautiful colours.

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Flamingos sweep their bill upside down through shallow water picking up food as they go.

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I can’t believe what beautiful plumage and colours these birds have.

 

 

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Flamingos are like ballet dancers so graceful in the waters

We don’t often see flamingos but these ones were so close to us in the lake just out by the villas.

 

Marta

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Flamingos on Flamingo Lake

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Such fun watching these beautiful birds.....Oh the colours are magnificent!

A call from a friend that the flamingoes were fairly close to the road sent me rushing down to take some photos. They were just past the narrows on Flamingo Lake and up the road from our villas at Harbour Club Villas. I was fascinated and took photos for over an hour. They seemed to all be sleeping and it’s not a myth – flamingos actually DO stand on one leg. It appears to be a comfortable resting position. Occasionally they would rouse, scratch themselves such as the one above and then go back into their one legged position.

Resting on one leg is the preferred position for sleep.

My favourite photo of three preening flamingos

Flamingos are pink or orange or white depending on what they eat. Flamingos eat algae, crustaceans, small fish and brine shrimp when they’re available most of which contain pigments called carotenoids. These ones were sporting some amazingly brilliant red, hot pink, coral and orange plumage.

A flock or "flamboyant" of Caribbean flamingos performing a water ballet!

Tall, wading birds with webbed feet. Flamingos have elongated, slender necks and legs that are longer, relative to body size, than any other bird.

 

The West Indian flamingo has a beak with a black tip, pink to red/orange middle, and pale yellow base near the eye. The upper bill is often lighter in colour.

 

Such beautiful birds and I was lucky to be able to watch and photograph them.

 

These two had a brief altercation as they faced each other with outstretched necks and sometimes with growling vocalizations.

 

Look at the leg positioning! How do they balance like that?

Preening and ruffling their feathers.

How lucky we are to be able to have the opportunity to observe and enjoy these gloriously colourful birds in their natural habitat. Hope to see all you birdwatchers and birders here on Providenciales. Happy bird hunting and here’s hoping you’ll get to see our flamingos.

 

Marta

 

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

 

 

 

Flamingo Sunsets

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Glorious sunset just after Hurricane Irene paid us a visit

Quite the two weeks since Hurricane Irene came calling! All’s well and we’ve been treated to fair, calm weather and some beautiful sunsets over the lake by Harbour Club Villas. The Flamingos are also back again in Flamingo Lake….they did the same thing after Hurricanes Ike and Hanna.

Beautiful flamingo stretching gracefully like a ballerina as it wades through the water.

 

Soft sunset fusion of pink shades over Harbour Club Villas as a flamingo wades the lake waters searching for crustaceons in the silty bottom.

The flooding has all but disappeared, clean up after the hurricane is all done, the bush has been cleared of debris and trimmed and new foliage is sprouting once again.

The wonder of nature.

 

 

Marta

 

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

A quiet beach and Flamingos

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Another spectacular day....calm and clear and I dragged Mike along for a photo

Another spectacular day....calm and clear and I dragged Mike along for a photo. Who am I kidding....it was quite a few photos and Mike was very patient.

Our little “no name” beach (I call it My Beach or Dog Beach) is just down the road and tucked away. It’s know to the locals and several dogs who come to cool off in the water with or without owners. This is the favourite beach for our honeymoon couple Tim and Kristi who are staying with us now. Tim loves to bonefish and Kristi loves the beach so they are both happy.

Kristi loves this little beach and reads her book and cools off in the water.

Kristi loves this little beach and reads her book and cools off in the water.

Meanwhile, down the road a short ways, Tim was searching for bonefish. When we saw him, there was a school of bonefish that he had sighted. A flamingo flew right over his head as he was wading and I managed to catch it on camera………it’s a bit blurry but you can make out the flying flamingo. 

Here's Tim bonefishing with a flamingo flying overhead.

Here's Tim bonefishing with a flamingo flying overhead.

The water was so calm and besides Kristi, there were only three other people just strolling along in the shallow waters.

The three dots are people walking out in the shallow water.

The three dots are people walking out in the shallow water.

Today was again, another one of those days where the ocean was like a mirror. It was late afternoon and we had spent an hour taking photos of the flamingos…..at least we tried to get up as close as we could to them. They kept wandering over to the otherside.

Conference call as the flamingos gather together to squawk about the shrimps.

Conference call as the flamingos gather together to squawk about the shrimps.

This is the first year that I’ve seen more than a handful of flamingos. Usually we see no more than five or so but there were alot of them there on the lake and salina today.

The flamingos were different colours some a real vivid pink.

The flamingos were different colours some a real vivid pink.

The flamingos made reflections in the water as they slowly walked along occasionally feeding with heads under the water. If you are a bird watcher and here on vacation, make your way down Venetian Road past our villas at Harbour Club and you’ll see them. I’ll meet you there maybe???

 

Marta

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Flamingo sunset

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A solitary flamingo at sunset with the reflexion of the clouds in the waters of Flamingo Lake

A solitary flamingo at sunset with the reflection of the clouds in the waters of Flamingo Lake

What a sight………the sun setting behind a new house being built on the lake and a lone flamingo. A glittering pathway of  shimmering gold appeared on the surface of Flamingo Lake while the reflexion of the clouds made for a truly spectacular moment. I had seen the flamingos close to the water’s edge and grabbed one of our Brazilian guests who is a photo journalist and off we went to capture these shots. As soon as we arrived, the two flamingos headed further out on the lake.

Flamingo silhouette with the warm colours of another spectacular Provo sunset

Flamingo silhouette with the warm colours of another spectacular Provo sunset

Hope you get to see flamingos on your next visit to our beautiful islands.

 

Marta

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Flamingos Part 2

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Greater Flamingos in the salt ponds of Grand Turk

Greater Flamingos in the salt ponds of Grand Turk

On an all too short visit to Grand Turk, a girl friend and I spent at least an hour getting these shots of the Flamingos in the town salina. They didn’t seem too worried about us and just went about their business of searching for food.

The West Indian Flamingo is part of the crest of the Turks and Caicos Islands and stand on either side of the shield.

The West Indian Flamingo is part of the crest of the Turks and Caicos Islands and stand on either side of the shield.

The flamingo’s long legs and neck make them look quite awkward but it enables them to inhabit deeper water than other wading birds. Their specialized upside down beaks contain rows of bristles (lamellae) through which they strain the water for minute organisms which they can swallow without raising their heads.

There were quite a few flamingos wading the salt ponds on this particular day.

There were quite a few flamingos wading the salt ponds on this particular day.

The Town Salina in Cockburn Town, Grand Turk, is surrounded by people, houses and roads. Still, this doesn’t disturb the flamingos which like to feed there.  The flamingos are often joined by pelicans and herons.

Birdwatching is a favourite occupation here in our islands. If you are a bird watcher or birder, come see all the different varieties of birds found in the Turks and Caicos Islands

Marta

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Flamingos on Flamingo Lake

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I glanced off our deck and spotted three specks in the lake and when I grabbed the binoculars.......sure enough there were three flamingos.

I glanced off our deck and spotted three specks in the lake and when I grabbed the binoculars.......sure enough there were three flamingos.

Today there were three West Indian or Greater Flamingos out in the lake and that’s something we don’t often see. Usually they are further down and more in Juba Salina. I grabbed my camera and ran down to take some photos. It was interesting watching the flamingos feed as they would do a little stomping dance and then put their heads in the water. Apparently they feed on small organisms which they strain out of the mud by filtering it through their unusual, upside-down beaks.

One flamingo was quite a bright pink and the other much paler.

One flamingo was quite a bright pink and the other much paler.

North Caicos has a large flock of flamingos with as many as 1000 birds inhabiting Pumpkin Bluff Pond better known as Flamingo Pond.

The last time I took photos of Flamingos near our villas was just after Hurricane Ike

The last time I took photos of Flamingos near our villas was just after Hurricane Ike

If you’re a bird watcher or birder, come and see the large variety of birds in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Hopefully you’ll catch a glimpse of these beautiful flamingos.

See you soon on Provo,

 

Marta

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com