Flamingos were once abundant in Florida, but the plume trade nearly wiped them out in the late 1800s. They've returned to some parts of the state in much smaller numbers, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to photograph them from a kayak while on a trip there.
My bird photography trip to Florida's Atlantic coast was planned around favorites like the Roseate Spoonbill, but pre-trip research revealed a thrilling possibility: the American Flamingo. This iconic bird, nearly wiped out by the plume trade in the late 1800s, had recently staged a rare return, blown off course by Hurricane Idalia the previous fall.
As luck would have it, a small group remained. My tour leader navigated us by kayak far from shore, staking us in the sand where we could blissfully float and admire these rare visitors. This photo captures the elegant silhouette of a flamingo wading across the water, its vibrant pink form a beautiful contrast against the dramatic, deep blues of the ocean and the sky—a stunning symbol of the species' resilience.
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