The Mystery of the Vintage Flamingos

Back in the 70s, the lagoon was a very different place.

If you strolled through San Elijo Lagoon in the mid-1970s, you might have rubbed your eyes in disbelief. Wading alongside the local birds were two real pink flamingos!

Local birdwatcher Paul documented these wayward visitors, seen in the now-classic photo seen here. “The picture may have faded, because in my memory they were a little pinker.” As local lore goes, everyone assumed the bright pink fugitives had escaped from the San Diego Zoo, although the zoo denied losing any feathered residents.

“They were wandering around for maybe two weeks,” Paul remembered. “And then someone shot one with an arrow, and it was still wandering around … and then it disappeared, and shortly after, the other one did also.”

Back in those days, the lagoon was a very different place. Water levels as seen in this photo were typical, and people used to hunt ducks right in an old sewage holding pond, armed with wooden decoys and shotguns. The waters were occasionally filled with ducks, geese, and off-and-on white pelicans who were thought to be sweeping in from the Salton Sea.

While the mysterious ‘70s flamingos are long gone, and wild flamingo sightings remain a rare treat around San Diego Bay (like the famous “Pink Floyd” and “Flo”), the story of San Elijo Lagoon itself has transformed dramatically.

Gone are the days of hunting and degraded sewage ponds. Today, thanks to the continuous habitat restoration, water quality monitoring, and conservation work by Nature Collective and our partners, San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve is a protected sanctuary. 

While you might not spot a flamingo filtering for algae during a visit today, the birdwatching is very exciting. On any given day, you can spot: 

 Great Blue Herons standing like statues, Snowy Egrets flashing their brilliant white plumes, rare birds like the Ridgway’s Rail, Belding’s Savannah Sparrow, and the tiny California Gnatcatcher finding safe haven in restored salt marshes and coastal sage scrub. 

Today, the ‘wild spirit’ of San Elijo Lagoon looks a little different from what it did 50 years ago, but today our birdlife is safer, healthier, and protected for generations to come. Next time you hit the trails, grab your binoculars; you never know what amazing visitor you’ll spot next!