Some say they escaped or were freed from a 1959 fire at Simpson's Gardenland and Bird Farm, or they flew up from Mexico and Central America. Some say they were spawned by remnants of Adolphus Busch's original Busch Gardens in the Arroyo. (The Parrot Project of Los Angeles has all the doo-doo.) Escaped pets joined up, everybody reproduced, et volant! We've got flocks and flocks.
Giant gangs of them roam our skies year 'round, bleating, "ohmygodohmygodohmygod!" like terrified Aunt Tillies. But winter is their big time. The noise they make can be deafening. I love them.
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23 comments:
I'm expecting to see Alfred Hitchcock standing silhouetted silently at the base of that tree! Your parrot story reminds me of cockatoos here, Petrea. Quite often, I'm on the flight path for a large flock of them. Once I discovered it wasn't a bunch of witches on broomsticks shrieking overhead, I felt a lot better about them!
PS: "IvotedIvotedIvoted!"
Like Shell, my first thought was of the playground scene in The Birds.
This is much scarier, however, as parrots can screech verbal threats at their victims!
I voted, too!
I love it when they fly in that 'V' shape!.. The black geese fly over my house every spring at 6 am and I love the 'honking' they do....We get a lot of mallard ducks hanging out at Starbucks.. City even posted a duck crossing sign!. Tho some folks have ignored it......(sad isn't it)
I don't remember the parrots when I was there many moons ago. This setting makes for a terrific photo. Better go and vote :).
Thankyouthankyouthankyou for voting!
This post was prescient. The parrots fly in flocks all over the valley, but they're out in full force in my neighborhood this morning. They like the berries on our camphor trees but those are long gone, so I don't know why they chose us today. They're having a convention--completely disorganized, never fly in a V shape! But they manage to stick together and terrify the squirrels.
There are so many different species around here now, and I love the noise they make. Some incredible research by a young man from Cornell discovered that they have personal names given to them by their parents!
http://www.geekosystem.com/parrot-parents-name-babies/
That's fascinating, Bellis!
Nice capture, Petrea! Our parrots, although many, seem to be camera shy. I've tried and tried, and it's like they know I'm coming. I think they're mocking me, but I will prevail!!
I grew up not far from here, and our childhood story was that there was either a) a pet store fire (which must have been a version of the actual story that you talked about); or b) a circus train derailment(which appears to have no basis in fact, but was a great story for pre-teens to discuss).
Can't wait to get my photo one of these days, and will link back to you, of course!
I was out there trying to get shots this morning, Adele. One flew right at me! What a shot it would have been! The camera, of course, was hanging around my neck and not pointed at the parrot.
What a great photo! I love when the parrots visit the neighborhood. They hang out on the power cable that runs across my backyard. Maybe I'll try to get a photo one of these days.
Are all the parrots really descended from escaped domestic birds?
There used to be a native species, the Carolina Parakeet, that was was numerous in the early 1800s that it, like the Passenger Pigeon, was regarded as a nuisance. Flocks of birds were so heavy in the Ohio River Valley that they darkened the sky for days during migration. Hunters would just shoot into the air, without aiming, and the birds would fall to the ground. Now, of course, they are extinct, and all we have left are taxidermied examples, tagged and stuck in drawers for research. Of course, one of Audubon's most beautiful prints is of these birds.
http://www.aradergalleries.com/detail.php?id=1919
Let us know if you get a good shot, Susan. They are wily.
Speedway, there are several theories but as my neighbor and I discussed this morning, they're probably all correct. Escaped from the pet store, from Busch Gardens, from homes, etc., they herd together and mate and continue on. They're ours now. May they prevail. I'm sorry about the Carolina Parakeet.
Have you all seen that sweet movie/documentary,"The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill?"
I love them, too. I don't care what anyone says.
anything that scares the squirrels is nice to see!
Haven't seen it, Bellis, but it sounds wonderful.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wild_Parrots_of_Telegraph_Hill
Me too, Laura, and I know what you mean.
Ha ha, hamilton!
There are a lot of clips from the documentary on PBS.org and the DVD is available at the huge on-line bookseller, too.
I love all of the different theories about how they got here.
Whenever I see 'em, it makes me think about buying a BB gun!
I thought you were kidding at first but not so. There used to be a parakeet here, I saw it a few times and told a friend and he did not believe me till I pointed it out up a nearby tree. Sadly I have not seen it in a few years.
Speedway, thanks. I saw a clip and enjoyed it.
Tim! I'm shocked! Mr. Nature lover.
Maybe your parakeet joined a flock somewhere, Paul. Let's hope so.
I love the parrots, too. And your photo.
Thank you, Ms. M!
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