Lake Bogoria Flamingoes

Michael, our driver, poses in front of the large geyser on Lake Bogoria

The main attraction of the Bogoria Lake National Reserve (after the flamingoes)  is the lake from which the hot springs can be seen erupting. The springs erupt 2.5 -3 meters into the air and carry with them a strong pungent sulfur smell. However scenic, the water is dangerously hot and visitors are asked to tread carefully.

Although there are signs warning people about the hot water,  in this area it was only tepid. I went ahead and felt it as I'd wondered about the flamigoes enjoying the spray

Grant and Johan walked a little further up the shoreline to where the real hot springs bubbled out of the lake. They told me you could not immerse your finger in it without burning. The real touristy thing to do is to buy raw chicken eggs at the entrance to the reserve and boil them in the hot springs. We were far too early; the ladies selling eggs had not yet opened their stalls

Above, between all the Lesser Flamingoes, is the only Greater Flamingo that I managed to photograph. It's the bird towering above the others and if you look closely you'll see it has a pink bill which is tipped with black. The Lesser Flamingo has a dark red bill, and a black tip

Trying to identify juvenile flamingoes, I panned in on this group standing alongside the really hot springs the men told me about. The bird second from the right and the one second from the left look like juveniles to me

Lesser Flamingoes occur in greater numbers than do Greater Flamingoes. They are also surface feeders while the Greater Flamingoes filter their food from the bottom mud in shallow waters. While watching and photographing these beautiful birds, I realised that I'd have to come back and spend a far longer time to really get to know them!