Pink flamingo flock migrates to Shelter Bay home

Add one more to this year’s Birds of Winter list.

The pink flamingo.

Or, in the case of Todd and Katie Wigal of Shelter Bay, make that pink flamingos.

The local couple awoke Sunday morning to find a flock of 100 pink flamingos gracing their front yard.

Gracing might not be the right word. But, as with snow geese and trumpeter swans, they were certainly eye-catching.

The mass migration of colorful plastic birds to Shelter Bay isn’t linked to global warming, habitat loss or any other scientific explanation.

Love, it turns out, is the answer.

Arrival of the pink flamingos was a surprise hatched by friends and relatives of Todd and Katie, and timed to coincide with Todd’s 40th birthday.

“It started as more of a practical joke than anything else,” says Todd’s brother, Jeff Wigal. “Our sister lives down in Portland and she had a flock that ‘migrated’ into her yard for her 40th birthday.”

That caper came off so well that a repeat migration was planned for Todd, a captain at South Snohomish County Fire & Rescue. He also owns a firefighter training company.

Ironically, no alarm bells went off to alert Todd of the pending plot. Home delivery of the pink flamingos took place late Saturday night.

“We spread the word among his friends and family,” says Jeff, “and the response was better than we anticipated.”

The stealth operation, rumored to have been coordinated by Todd’s business partner Jason Huizenga, paid dividends on several levels.

“We’re also donating about $150 to the La Conner PTSA (Parent-Teacher-Student Association) in his honor,” Jeff says. “It turns out there were a lot of people willing to pay $35 to put some flamingos in his yard.”

The PTSA is near and dear to Todd and Katie. A kindergarten teacher here, Katie is president of the La Conner chapter of PTSA. The Wigals were actively involved in the campaign to pass the most recent La Conner School District levy proposal.

“It wasn’t going to be a fundraiser at first,” says Jeff. “I was just looking to collect enough money to buy the birds. Once we had more than enough to buy 100 flamingos, I figured we should donate the rest to charity in honor of his birthday.

“PTSA,” he adds, “seemed to make sense because Todd and Katie and their friends are very involved with that group.”

Of course, the flamingos aren’t in any hurry to fly the coop. At least not on their own. They appear to have acclimated quite nicely to Shelter Bay.

“I don’t know what he’s going to do with them,” Jeff says, “since as of now he’s the owner of 100 plastic flamingos.”

One option, says Jeff, is to consider designating La Conner PTSA as a flamingo refuge.

“If I were him,” Jeff explains, “I’d donate them to the PTSA and let them do this to other people’s yards as a fundraiser.”

It’s an idea, based on past experience, not likely to ruffle many feathers.