It is a breathtaking sight. The pink, red and white colors float beautifully over the water, as far as the eye can see.
In these days, in spite of a colder climate than in past years, the return of the flamingos on Lake Bogoria is taking place.
There could be more than 500,000 flamingos on one of the salt lakes of the Rift Valley, an ecosystem that has few equals in Africa.
The young flamingos have not yet changed color, they are still very white and glide gracefully over the shallow water near the banks, while the adults watch from a distance in deeper spots.
They come largely from Lake Natron, Tanzania after a season of nesting. They love the vegetation of the saline lake, especially the algae of which they are fond.
Unfortunately, as happens for the great migration of wildebeests in the Masai Mara, there are few international tourists who are lucky enough to witness this event, which is an incredible scenic spectacle. The pink invades the field, among the geysers of the lake and other 300 species of birds including very rare specimens.
Late July and early August is the classic period of the arrival of flamingos, but this year because of the colder temperatures than usual they have been seen only now.
Although they live up to 40 years, these migratory birds reproduce only every five or six years and often wait for months for the best moment, before moving to other habitats where they can feed and "relax". One such habitat is the Kenyan lake itself.
Like other lakes in the Rift Valley, Lake Bogoria has also experienced an increase in water levels which, fortunately, has not affected its salinity and palatability for migratory birds.
The only real problem, if anything, is the drying up of its main tributary, the Weseges River, during the dry season.
In any case, the Bogoria is one of the basins that is suffering less from the problems related to climate and excessive urbanization, compared to Lake Nakuru, Magadi and Elmentaita.