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Parakeets and the old Apple Tree
There are only a few fruits left on the tree, these very exposed; my camera is at the ready, the tree visible outside the window right where the computer sits. I have not given up hope for that “perfect” shot of these birds, but I have begun to suspect they are the smarter than I.
The old apple tree in my neighbor’s yard is almost bare. The parakeets have been quite busy eating away, bullying the other birds and avoiding my camera. I have, however, found several clues as to why these beautiful birds have so successfully “made it” here. In short, they are very smart. Several years ago, they discovered the old apple tree and added it to the neighborhood forage list. Three years ago, the neighbors at the time had small boys, a BB gun and the birds were too tempting a target. I heard the pop pop and went flying out the backdoor to chastise the darlings for trying to kill such creatures. They stopped shooting birds but used my glazing globe as target practice and my back windows. I had a small talk with the parents pointing out my child slept below two of those windows. The BB gun was removed from their procession and then they moved away. However, the parakeets did not return the next year or the following year. This year I began to notice that they flew over frequently, stopping on the high telephone wires to eye out the situation. I readied my camera to take pictures, but the slightest noise would cause one to make their “ping” sound and all would fly away. So I began all kinds of stealth attempts, sitting and waiting, shooting from inside, sneaking out quietly~ all to no avail. They had learned the BB gun lesson well. Yesterday I was admiring a huge parakeet perched on the telephone wire, as it overlooked the apple, with two very disgruntled mocking birds perched next to it, no apples for them it seems. All of a sudden, something spooked them and at least 20 parakeets emerged from the tree flying off in a hurry. I was amazed so many had been quietly snacking away, hidden so well.
19 comments from 10 users
1
posted by
tchudilowsky
on Jul 9, 2008 at 12:35 PM
Beautiful! I'm glad they are doing so good. posted by
AnonCon
on Jul 9, 2008 at 12:40 PM
Good catch with the pic - I too have tried to get pictures of them but to no avail - they are simply too quick for me. I do love to sit out in the backyard near dusk and watch them flying over and making that god-awful noise! posted by
sagefever
on Jul 9, 2008 at 12:49 PM
LOL~ that noise is a pretty amazing sound! It is what first caught my eye and I wondered how they could live here~ figured the hawks would make short work of them...boy was I wrong! posted by
tchudilowsky
on Jul 9, 2008 at 01:33 PM
They look like parrots. A parrot could snap another birds neck like a pencil I think :-) posted by
sagefever
on Jul 9, 2008 at 01:38 PM
I was calling them parots myself but this site cleared (?) that up for me : http://natureali.org/roseri... turn up those speakers! lol and see~ I can spot idiot humans ... posted by
tchudilowsky
on Jul 9, 2008 at 01:51 PM
WOW! Thanks :0) They sound pretty to me... posted by
robinislost
on Jul 9, 2008 at 02:27 PM
Those birds look beautiful, Sage. This is a great blog post. I loved reading it. I hope you're able to get that picture you've been trying to get. I'd love to get a picture of those birds, but I've never seen them before. I'm so jealous of you. posted by
lanabuford
on Jul 9, 2008 at 02:32 PM
We have about 7 or 8 in the trees next door, I always thought they were parrots too?
I've never seen a parrakeet that big.
posted by
sagefever
on Jul 9, 2008 at 02:43 PM
Robin~ Thanks I wish I had your skills with a camera! I hear the area around Hart Park has a huge flock. Look for any old palms with huge shags~ they like to roost there. Lana~ the link in my post ( at 1:38) is from a woman who is a naturalist,and the nomenclature( fancy way to name and organize birds,plants etc) breaks them down into the parakeet family. I thought they were parrots too. posted by
AnonCon
on Jul 9, 2008 at 03:05 PM
posted by
TSM
on Jul 9, 2008 at 03:39 PM
I'm jealous, Sage. I've been trying to get a great picture like that for several years now from my back yard. Like you said, they're too smart to hang out in the open.
posted by
sagefever
on Jul 9, 2008 at 04:27 PM
To be clear that photo came from a person named birddog at Flicker~ my pictures look like this: I just got a nice note from Alison,who owns the site. She says that parakeet means parrot with long tail not small parrot. posted by
bakonative
on Jul 9, 2008 at 05:47 PM
Wow, what an amazing sight to see 20 of these beauties flying out of the tree! Thanks for sharing! (and good luck trying to get a photo, I try also to catch the robins with my camera). posted by
woofwoof
on Jul 9, 2008 at 08:28 PM
I love those birds...and I too have a hard time trying to catch them on "film"... posted by
catpaw
on Jul 9, 2008 at 09:39 PM
I haven't seen any for a while. I'm guessing they're staying out of the heat. Glad to know they're thriving. posted by
sagefever
on Jul 10, 2008 at 10:50 AM
Parakeet update~ They are mocking me now....last night they were "posing",they were frolicking,walking that sideways dance they do on bare branches,two on small wires and three in a branch. I snuck out so very quietly and bam! Another 15 or so and they all flew off so fast out of that tree. There are only a few apples left and I despair of getting my shot~ with that camera. Maybe next year.
posted by
catpaw
on Jul 10, 2008 at 03:25 PM
No doubt about it sage. Those parrots (excuse me, parakeets) are conducting a secret psychological experiment to see how long it takes to drive you crazy. posted by
any1
on Jul 10, 2008 at 07:41 PM
Next year try planting Lemon Queen suflowers. They eat those up. Beale Park and surrounding neighborhood has a flock of them. posted by
sagefever
on Jul 10, 2008 at 07:45 PM
That's my area~ and I am convinced it's a plot to drive me mad! Or buy a telephoto lens .
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