So I went down to Pasadena for a group bike ride-- we were late and had to try to catch up with the pack (never caught them). Anyhow, on our way through old-town Pasadena we hear, in a set of trees over a dentist’s office’s parking lot or something, a godawfully noisy bunch of birds. “What the hell is THAT?” we wonder-- my best guess is mynahs or magpies or something-- I only caught a flash of something pretty big-- pigeon/ crow sized. A while later we realize we won’t catch up with the group and are getting lost, so we back track and take the time to stop and check out the birds, which turn out to be a pack of 50 or so mitred conures (according to my memory, Sibley’s and a couple of web sites), hanging out in the horse-chestnut trees. What the hell? A pack of parrots in LA. Pretty cool (our parrot is about the same size and similarly colored so we were especially entertained). I knew that there had to be feralized parrot flocks in California but it was really nifty to see these guys.
Must have been quite the sight! Feral parrpts flying free in the U. s. - it almost makes up for the poor Carolina Parakeets…
You know, when I was living in Orange County a bazillion years ago, the only time we heard (that I knew about) of parrots in the wild was the occasional loose bird. I remember some guy lost his hyacinth macaw - and actually got it back! But other than that, not so much as a peep.
Anyway, when I was back in La Habra late last year, I was out in my mom’s back yard early one morning (dawn). I hear a ruckus that sounded somewhat familiar. “What on earth…? That sounds pcittacine!” I had my glasses and started hopping around on the wet dichondra trying to get a peek when a flock of about a dozen Amazons came zooming by. At least I think they were Amazons but I don’t know which type.
My mom had a pale blue ringneck in her garage earlier this year. She was busy trying to shoo it out while her cat was busy trying to catch it. Unfortunately she didn’t know what it was and I didn’t hear about it until after the bird got away otherwise I would have put her in touch with the lost parrot people.
I had a similar experience while walking in Rehoboth Beach, DE. I saw a green flash, then looked in a nearby tree to see a couple of small parrots. I went back to the B&B and told my friends about it, expecting them to ask “what have you been smoking?”, but found out that there are wild parrots there (i forgot what the name of them is).
I love bird watching.
What are those birds that I see perched on power lines that are all beige?
They look like small pigeons but they aren’t.
vanilla
Probably morning doves
err mourning doves even
so Thats what they are!
Thanks.
There is a flock of feral monk parakeets (escapees, presumably) living in Brooklyn. They make their nests in the bright lights of the Brooklyn College football field, supposedly because it’s nice and warm there.
On last year’s Christmas count in the Bronx, the birds of the day for me on my local route was a couple of Monk Parakeets in Pelham Bay Park. I knew they had been around, but I hadn’t seen them before.
Later that afternoon we went to see the Rufous Hummingbird that was hanging around in Westchester and the Calliope Hummingbirds in Manhattan.
I do two Christmas Counts each year, the Panama Pacific and the Bronx-Westchester. I always have a great composite list. However, I usually only get parrots and hummingbirds on the southern one.
Monk parakeets about here in Kissimmee and Tampa (esp. Busch Gardens).
Last bird count, I saw caracaras and whooping cranes. The highlight of my day!
There is a flock of Lorakeets(??) residing just down the street from our house. They stop by our complex for a handout every now and then. Noisy little green guys–they talk to one another almost constantly.
They’ve got a whole 8 foot cage full of Lorikeets at our Zoo.
They like to land on your head!
i’d love to meet one of these guys.
I saw a post on another forum from a fellow who was hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains in southern Virginia who, while sitting on a rock, taking a break, saw a giant bird run by. Shades of Jurassic Park! It turns out that there are a few Emu running around that area that got loose from a local farm. Sorry I don’t have a link, but it was from a trustworthy source and apparently people from that area know about it…