In a summer that has seen orcas off the cape, a hammerhead shark near Newport and whale and dolphin beachings up and down the coast, birders saw another nearly unprecedented sight over the past week — a flamingo in Little Compton.

The American flamingo, instantly recognizable with its pink plumage, was spotted at Briggs Marsh and stayed around for at least most of the weekend. Scientists believe it may be the same one spotted last month in the Cape Cod town of Dennis — Mark Faherty, of the Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, said in an interview that he believes the bird may from a group that was scattered when Hurricane Idalia hit Florida last summer. Following that storm, the birds were spotted in more than a dozen states, including some as far inland as Ohio, Missouri and Wisconsin.

The Little Compton sighting generated extensive buzz in birding circles.

“Unmistakable,” one wrote in the eBird app. “Large pink wading bird with long neck and black tail feathers, curved bill that is white and black. We observed it wading and foraging for about one and a half to two hours in the marsh.”

Tiverton resident Jeremy Santos sent several photos of the bird to the Sakonnet Times, and said it was quite a thrill to see it one town over from his home.

He wrote on Reddit that though Briggs Beach is private, guards eased passage restrictions so photographers could come in and see the animal over the weekend.

“They know the bird is going to attract many so they are not stopping photographers from going,” he wrote Sunday, adding that the best way to access the beach is to park at the Little Compton Town Landing and walk carefully down the cliff to the beach below.

“Between the landing and the beach, it is very rocky and if you are not careful, you will fall. So walk carefully. Take your time. It’s more than worth it.”