The Flamingos of Nakuru

Tuesday, August 30, 2005


Approaching Lake Nakuru, we could see shifting masses of pink birds as far around the lake as we could see. It reminded me of the artist Christo, encircling islands in auras of pink plastic.

The population of flamingos at Nakuru has long been an ornithologist's dream. Depending on the season and the algae (as at Crater Lake), the number of birds varied, but it was estimated that hundreds of thousands, and perhaps over a million, birds were feeding here today.

We drove down to the beach and were first met by a large flock of pelicans and Egyptian geese. A couple of brooding marabou stork huddled with the other birds, sticking out like sore and sadly ugly thumbs.

We walked down the broad desert-like beach crunching over sand that was crusty with white soda and a layer of bedraggled flamingo feathers and bird droppings. Birds waded and squabbled, jostling for the tastiest slime one presumes. Their numbers were doubled by pink reflections in the water.

The sound of all those birds was enormous. It was like an enormous droning hive of bees crossed with quacking ducks. It's hum and buzz I'll always remember when I see those tacky pink plastic flamingos on a suburban lawn.

As we left the lake-shore we saw a lone African fishing eagle perched majestically in a lone acacia tree. It seemed like the sole tree on this whole barren soda plain.