Flamingos spotted in small Wisconsin town’s beach
PORT WASHINGTON, Wisc. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - It was a rare sight in Wisconsin on Friday. Flamingos were spotted at Port Washington Beach bringing dozens of people to catch a glimpse.
The sight of seeing flamingos is what you'd expect on South Beach in Miami, Florida. Not South Beach in Port Washington, and word spread fast.
"Facebook. I heard it...and I'm like, 'Eh.' Then hearing it's a zoo down there," said Beth Lambright, a Port Washington resident.
"They're one of my favorite birds," said one resident.
Once in a lifetime
It was a must-see for those who are bonkers about birds.
With their long lenses in tow, they snapped once in a lifetime shots.
"You get the butterflies. I was saying, people before, you can see the people who just showed up how jittery they are at first when they show up," said Steven Thompson, a bird fan.
"I've never seen one in my life. So I gotta go get it. It's a lifer," said Ian Sarmiento, a resident of Oak Forest, Illinois.
Just for a moment
Experts say the fluorescent Phoenicopteriformes, a seven syllable science word, landed in Port Washington after being diverted by Hurricane Idalia.
A surprise to Dawn Ritter that she was ready for.
"Shocking. It's just shocking and of all places! I had tears in my eyes," Ritter expressed.
Whatever the reason, Ritter and dozens of other folks flocked to Port Washington to catch of these Floridian fledglings.
"My favorite color is pink and I like feathers and that kind of stuff and they're just so majestic," Ritter shared.
Even if it was just for a moment, with Jeff Bahls, President of the Horicon Marsh Bird Club, saying, "Don't expect them to hang around very long."
