There are fewer sights less likely than spotting a wild flamingo in the River Ythan near Ellon.
But in July 1931 this very thing happened, and the poor bird was shot for its trouble.
More at home in Southern France than Formartine, the slaughter of the Ellon flamingo caused outrage on the letters pages of the Press and Journal.
The shot bird was examined by Scottish naturalist James Ritchie, who verified it as female and “in perfect and brilliant plumage”, indicating it was a wild, and not captive, creature.
This was how the story was reported and the letters it prompted, word for word, in our paper in 1931…
‘The Ellon flamingo’
Sir – In your issue on Saturday there is a photograph of a flamingo, said to have been shot in the woods at Ellon. It is difficult to write with restraint about such an outrage.
The flamingo is one of the rarest birds to visit this country, and I do not remember to have heard of another reaching Aberdeenshire.
It must have flown many thousands of miles, and probably came from the south of France, or from Spain, unless, indeed, it escaped from some bird reserves.
Whenever a rare visitor comes to our shores, why is it that some “sportsman” must immediately kill it?
Such wanton destruction probably arises more from ignorance or thoughtlessness than blood lust; but we might expect that our boasted education would have taught us to treat all such rare and interesting visitors with kindness in the hope that they may be induced to return.
Yours,
RM Williamson, Aberdeen. July 18, 1931.
‘Bird lovers distressed’
Sir – Most of your readers will deplore the thoughtless shooting of a flamingo in the woods near Ellon.
It is most reprehensible that such a rare and beautiful visitor should be shot at first sight instead of being safely protected.
What a joy it would have been to thousands of bird lovers to have seen this lovely creature in its wild state in our countryside.
It has shared the fate of most rare birds which visit our shores only occasionally; and surely some strong action could be taken in order to prevent such destruction of rare bird visitors in the future.
Yours,
Robert Milne, Baiglie, Queen’s Road West, Aberdeen. July 18, 1931.
‘Shooting of flamingo’
Sir – On opening the ‘Journal’ this morning we were amazed – and enraged – to see the photograph published of the wanton destruction of a flamingo in Ellon woods.
The attitude of the mind which can even contemplate destroying such a beautiful, rare, and obviously lost bird cannot be too strongly condemned, and we hope the attention of the Scottish Society for Protection of Wild Birds will be drawn to this matter.
Yours,
EB Thomson, Inverichnie, Banff. July 18, 1931.
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