The first ever American flamingo to visit New York State chose to touch down in East Hampton — Georgica Pond specifically — Friday afternoon. The bird was first observed by Cathy Blinken, who was working remotely from a guest house on the pond.
“I happened to be looking out onto the pond and thought I saw an interesting looking swan. I thought it was a cygnet,” said Ms. Blinken. “As soon as the bird lifted its neck, I knew instantly it wasn’t a swan and realized it was a flamingo. I thought, what’s a flamingo doing here?”
Not equipped with a camera that could do the bird justice, she phoned the office of The Star and requested someone come down to photograph the bird.
“The fact that in this age of digital information and apps, that the bird was found and first reported by a local newspaper is remarkable,” said Shai Mitra, an assistant professor at the College of Staten Island. There has been an incursion of flamingos in the Northeast this spring, he said, but this was the first in the state. While there was a report or two of American flamingos in New York during the 1960s, it was never clear if they were escapees. “It’s the first in a very long time, if not the first ever.”
Henry Oreamuno is a caretaker on a Georgica Pond property. He has seen many interesting birds during his time there, including a black swan a few years ago, and an albino turkey. “The American flamingo is the most unique bird I’ve seen in 25 years,” he said.
“I feel bad for him, if he’s lonely,” said Ms. Blinken. Mr. Mitra put it in perspective. “This flamingo just wanted to go a little further than the other ones did.” He’s a maverick.
Turns out, he wasn’t so lonely after all. An unscrupulous man on a sailboat began chasing the flamingo around the pond, causing it to lift up and fly at least five times. Marine Patrol was called, but the man had departed before he could be educated. It is a crime to harass birds.
The bird was best viewed from the mouth of the pond at the beach. Parking for those with an East Hampton Town sticker is available on Beach Lane. From there, the walk to the mouth of the pond might take 15 minutes.
“I hope he decides to live here for a while,” said Ms. Blinken. “It will be fun to have a flamingo.”
“Who would believe a flamingo would be on Georgica Pond?” said a woman who has lived on the pond for over two decades. “I mean, that’s crazy!”
