Pretty Flamingos

Yes, I know these don't look like flamingos (or is it flamingoes?) but I saw these ring-tailed lemurs yesterday when a friend and I visited Manor House Wildlife Park here in Pembrokeshire. It's been bought by the TV personality Anna Ryder Richardson and there is a new TV programme about it on BBC at the moment . As it happens my friend's daughter works there (and for the previous owners) and she is the source of lots of beautiful feathers which I often add to my collection.

It was only because of the publicity for the TV programme that I found out they had flamingos at the park and as my friend Sue has just produced a brilliant collagraph of these lovely birds I just had to go along and see some.

These 5 guys - and guys is what they all are - are from Chile. They are quite small and very long lived. Sadly, I do not have any flamingo feathers in my collection because they tend to fall out in the water or by their hut where they get trampled into the ground. They are such beautiful, elegant birds though, so I can forgive them for not moulting in my direction!

The only flamingos I've seen 'live' were at the WWT in Slimbridge and they were very large, at least twice the size of the Chilean variety. There were a couple of gay couples in the flock there so perhaps the chaps at Manor House might go the same way. I shall visit them again so I'll keep my eye on proceedings!

Here is Sue's wonderful flamingo print and another printmaker I admire is a Somerset based artist called Julia Manning. I just love the vibrant colours in this flamingo print of hers. That pink and orange together is stunning.

As the sun has come out and they are forecasting it to last for a few days we're off to North Wales. We have a few walks planned and there is an art trail on so I will be in my element. Can't wait!