For the past 10 years or so I have heard the tale of a single flamingo who inhabits the east side of San Francisco Bay. I was able to verify its existence via an old newspaper article and thus a " bucket list" photography opportunity was created. The bird was originally thought to have been an escapee from the original Marine World/Africa USA park which was moved from Belmont to Vallejo, CA. All the animals were barged up the bay and some animals (peacocks were missing upon arrival. It's been to many years for that so the second belief is that an exotic animal collector lost his flamingo and has never looked/claimed responsibility. There have been several attempts to locate and trap the animal but all attempts by local zoos and naturalists have failed over the past 7-8 years.

So.... I mounted my trusty steed (EBIKE) and spent a number of trips into the Baylands and old salt ponds in search of the mythical beast. I finally found it this weekend! A site only a few have shared! A true urban safari.....

All shots taken with Sigma 60-600, handheld and very much cropped. Some image enhancement with Lightroom.