We occasionally see flamingos feeding in the shallow waters near the mouth of the Coega River before it enters the Port of Ngqura, near Port Elizabeth. This is when we are hurtling along the N2 with far too much traffic to allow one to stop and have a good look – also, we are usually aiming to meet an appointment and so stopping wouldn’t be an option anyway. Merely knowing that these magnificent birds are there always pleases me. Being able to see them up close from a bird hide on the Langebaan Lagoon was a magical experience for me.

Of course the Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) isn’t confined to South Africa, but can be seen in various parts of Africa, western Asia, and southern Europe. Their preferred habitat includes large bodies of shallow water, such as lakes, dams, estuaries and salt pans. The Langebaan Lagoon on the…