(quote courtesy of Mrs. Dalloway)
Imagine my pleasure and surprise when I approached the flamingo enclosure yesterday morning and saw, for the first time, a hint of pink in the coloring of one of the flamingelehs!
It really did look as if the juvenile were slightly flushed from some teenage embarrassment, but I suspect that for number 29 (the younger of the two) this sign of oncoming maturity is a welcome one, especially as number 28 looks decidedly grey, still, next to her:
I suspect that number 29 gloats about it and makes a point of saying "Everything looks so ROSY--I mean, present company excepted" around number 28, and number 28 feigns a cool, sophisticated indifference while secretly writing melancholy poetry about the bitter injustice of plumage and the world.
But I won’t presume to speculate about the rich inner lives and jealousies of young flamingos, who no doubt Facebook about these topics themselves anyway (“Matilda has updated her status to ‘Nearly Pink’; Hepzibah and Matilda are no longer friends”). I will say, though, that it looks as if their plumage is coming in nicely, and that by next year at this time they’ll probably look like this:
Something that every young flamingo can aim for.
Imagine my pleasure and surprise when I approached the flamingo enclosure yesterday morning and saw, for the first time, a hint of pink in the coloring of one of the flamingelehs!
It really did look as if the juvenile were slightly flushed from some teenage embarrassment, but I suspect that for number 29 (the younger of the two) this sign of oncoming maturity is a welcome one, especially as number 28 looks decidedly grey, still, next to her:
[note too how mallards
still sabotage my photos]
still sabotage my photos]
I suspect that number 29 gloats about it and makes a point of saying "Everything looks so ROSY--I mean, present company excepted" around number 28, and number 28 feigns a cool, sophisticated indifference while secretly writing melancholy poetry about the bitter injustice of plumage and the world.
But I won’t presume to speculate about the rich inner lives and jealousies of young flamingos, who no doubt Facebook about these topics themselves anyway (“Matilda has updated her status to ‘Nearly Pink’; Hepzibah and Matilda are no longer friends”). I will say, though, that it looks as if their plumage is coming in nicely, and that by next year at this time they’ll probably look like this:
Something that every young flamingo can aim for.
{A note: I do write all text and take all pictures. Please do not reproduce either without my permission.}
2 comments:
This is charming, and the flamingos, whatever color, are fascinating. Cute mallard, too, you've got to admit!
Changing shades seems like a much more elegant way to go through puberty than pimples and braces, doesn't it? :)
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