When I was a child in Kenya, Lake Nakuru was known for its enormous numbers of flamingos. Today there aren't as many. The water levels rose and diluted the alkaline conditions most favorable to the algae the flamingos eat. There are still flamingos at Lake Nakuru, but they say that Lake Bogoria is the place to go for the sights that Nakuru used to be so proud of. I remember going on a field trip to Lake Nakuru when I was in second grade. We learned to make tally marks and used them to keep track of how many we saw of everything - but especially flamingos.
How many Malachite Kingfishers?
Two.
How many Egyptian Geese?
Ten.
How many Great White Pelicans?
Twenty.
How many Lesser Flamingos?
A million.
©Ruth Bowen Hersey
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