PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Lora Wood loves photographing flamingos so much that she drove from Jacksonville to see the ones that ended up in the Tampa Bay area, including Peaches, who is hanging out at Fort De Soto State Park.
“We need to keep them around. They are a Florida staple,” said Wood.
Wood said she doesn’t mind that Audubon Florida put a tracker on Peaches so they can follow her travels and know what habitats must be protected.
“They should track them and see where they are going and what their environment is because our environment is changing,” said Wood.
Reenie Ram also photographed Peaches and said seeing the tracker attached to the bird bothered her.
She is one of a few hundred people who petitioned to remove the tracker.
“First time I saw her, she was just constantly going at her leg. And those were the pictures that I took. And then I went back up there on Wednesday to see how she was doing because it was concerning to me, and she wasn’t getting any better. She seemed more agitated by it,” said Ram.
Seaside Seabird Sanctuary released Peaches back into the wild earlier this month after the injured bird was rescued off St. Pete Beach.
They agreed with Audubon Florida that tracking this flamingo would benefit them all.
“We understand it looked really bulky and weird. And of course, Peaches didn’t come that way with a transmitter, but the data that will be obtained from this experience will be really valuable to protecting flamingos and other birds for the future,” said Melissa Edwards, a director with Seaside Seabird Sanctuary.
The dozens of flamingos that showed up in Florida after Hurricane Idilia are attracting much attention, and experts want to remind everyone to keep their distance.
“These birds had a real long, unexpected journey all the way up here. We need to give them the space to recuperate as they prepare for what they are going to do next,” said Edwards.
