Skegness Magazine

Wainfleet bombing range Lincolnshire”

Wainfleet Bombing Range Attacked – by a Flamingo!

Just another day for the Wainfleet bombing range look-out in October, 1968? – erh, no – “Attack from above, chaps! Is it a Plane? Is it Superman? No, it’s a…FLAMINGO?”

BOMB RANGE LOOK-OUT SPOTS … A FLAMINGO
LOOKING out of the control tower on Wainfleet bombing range on Wednesday, Sergt Andrew Motion saw the usual mudflats and pools left by the tide … and a flamingo.
After rubbing his eyes, he looked again. And, sure enough, there was a pink Chilean flamingo standing about 100 yards out from the sea wall.
He telephoned Skegness’ Natureland to see if any of their birds had escaped, but was told ” No.”

After they had been convinced that it really was a flamingo, manager John Yeadon and overseer Alan Dales went to have a look.
WORTH £60
They observed the bird but could not get within 100 yards of it.

Explained Mr Yeadon, “It just stretched its neck and flew off — about £60 worth of flamingo. It looked really beautiful. It was obviously in good condition.”
He said the bird must belong to someone as they aren’t usually found in this country. He thought it could live in the Wash unless the weather became really cold and the water started to freeze.

Research source: Skegness Standard October 1968.