June update: chicks galore!

9 June 2014

Greetings flamingo followers. I have just returned from my last week of data collection at Zoo Berlin where I have been comparing the behaviour of lesser and Andean flamingos to those in UK collections. I have come back to Slimbridge to find lots of young fluffy chicks wandering around the greater flamingo enclosure and several other birds sitting on nests with eggs imminently due to hatch. Phil and Sparky have been keeping a close eye on their new charges and the chicks are doing well. With the bumper crop of eggs this year, expect to see more grey bundles wandering around as the summer progresses. Fingers crossed, weather permitting of course.

Starting to grow up... a brand new greater flamingo at WWT Slimbridge.

Spot the hatchlings. Brand new chicks in the class of 2014 are now arriving into the world. Too much cuteness!

Sand is good for growing feet. The mountains of estuary sand heaped in to the flamingos' exhibits earlier in the year are now paying off. Healthy feet, clean enclosures, happy birds. These chicks will grow up big and strong :-)

And what about the other flocks? Well let's not get too excited but I'll share this rather blurry photo of two lesser flamingos indulging in some special cuddles :-) Unfortunately I couldn't photograph them actually "in the act" as my camera wasn't coping well with the indoor light levels. Technology hey?!