When I saw this flamingo standing quietly away from its flock, it reminded me how important it is occasionally to regroup and take stock of your world around you – purposefully, thoughtfully, and without noise.
The Wonder Gardens in Bonita Springs, Florida has many of these birds in a beautiful pond on the grounds. Actually, it is an American Flamingo, the only such bird native to North America.
They’re known for being very noisy in matters of feeding, flocking, and courtship – making this particular one I photographed all the more interesting.
As you can tell from the orange blur on the left side of the photograph, there were other flamingos gathered together as usual and being very active and loud – and yet this one seemed to need a calm break from all the craziness.
It’s not clear to me whether a flamingo would actually lock eyes with a human holding a camera but it felt like that’s what happened. There seemed to be no fear or aggravation that I was acting like paparazzi and interrupting his quiet moment away from the noisy flock! (And just what was he thinking about??)
Every time I visit The Wonder Gardens I learn more interesting things about plants and animals, and there’s also a lot of great information on the website (including about the American Flamingo if you want to know more). Previously I did a blog post on The Wonder Gardens in my VISIT series for The Daily Artisan, and it’s such a WONDERful place for visitors of all ages!
So, back to our pensive, orange bird.
Remember to take time – even if just briefly – to step away from the flock and take stock. It’s a valuable reminder from this beautiful flamingo I was fortunate enough to meet!
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