Rhianna Banana

Wild Parrot Safari

Last weekend, Pierre and I headed to Brooklyn to go on a wild parrot safari, organized by a local parrot expert. There is a flock of wild green Quaker parrots (Myiopsitta monachus, also known as Monk Parakeets) that live in a soccer field in Brooklyn College. The story is that they were accidentally released when a crate from a shipment was opened at the airport in 1970. They were able to establish themselves and thrive in the urban environment. Here's a nice shot of one posing for us on a fence.


This is a video of the parrots feeding at the bottom of a tree.
I was interested in seeing these local wild parrots after seeing the movie the Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. Apparently there is another population that lives closer to where we live. Pierre and I are going to check out that spot soon.
The parrots like to nest in really high spots, like the top of this lamppost for the soccer field. Each lamppost had its own parrot nest, hosting up to 20 parrots, their eggs, and hatchlings. No other species nests in such a high place, so they have no competition.
They do not compete with the other birds. Here they are foraging peacefully amongst the pigeons and starlings.
Another shot of the parrots feeding in the grass around the soccer field.
We saw the parrots flying around, perching, and feeding. We also saw a crow fly toward one of the parrot nests and land on top of it, in search of some parrot eggs. The parrots freaked out about that and flew out of the nest. Eventually some flew back to defend the nest and we even saw a mockingbird become aggressive and attack the crow! It was really cool.
Here's a shot of the soccer field where the parrots live. See how tall those lampposts are! The parrots don't have to worry about anyone climbing the posts to steal their babies or eggs.
The parrots blend in perfectly with the leaves on this tree. Apparently you get more dramatic pictures of them in the winter when there's less cover.
For the most part, the parrots' human neighbors like having them around, although some people have complained about the noise. But noisy parrots seem like nothing compared to the noise pollution of a big city! A nearby playground honored the parrots' place in the community with these metal silhouettes on the fence. The wild parrot tours are free and take place every month, so check out the wild parrot website if you've interested in seeing the parrots for yourself!
Although Preston, our new cat, is very sensitive about having his belly touched, he likes to sprawl out on the couch like this. You are only allowed to touch his head, or scratch his belly with a back scratcher one of my aunties got me from the Philippines. He's a good cat, most of the time =)
For Pierre's birthday last week, we went to a Mets game, which was fun. On Sunday, we went to Yankees Stadium for All-Star Sunday. We watched the Futures game and the celebrity softball game. That was entertaining. For the All-Star game, there are statues up around town for all the major league teams. I found the Padres statue in Union Square, so next we were on a quest for the Cubs statue. We finally found it after calling my lifeline, Julia. Here it is, in front of the New York Stock Exchange.

Last night, Pierre and I went to a WNBA game at Madison Square Garden. The New York Liberty hosted my team, the Washington Mystics. Unfortunately, the Mystics lost 56 - 77. So far, we've seen the Padres lose to the Yankees and the Mystics lose to the Liberty. I think the next sporting event we'll go to is the Yankees vs. the White Sox. Hopefully the White Sox will win that game!
My brother bought me an annual membership to the Bronx Zoo for my birthday. Pierre and I went to their special Members' only evening to check out their new exhibit, Madagascar. The lemurs were really active and fun to watch.


Here's a video of the lemurs, looking like they are about to jump out to where all the people are standing.

Other than those adventures, I also went to Philadelphia on Monday and Tuesday to hang out with my siblings and baby Malaya. Hopefully I'll have some pictures from that trip soon. Oh, and I also went to some free film showings at one of the New York public libraries. I saw a silent film, Smilin' Through, from 1922. There was a pianist who accompanied the film. That was new to me, and really cool. Then I saw a Doris Day movie from 1951, the Lullaby of Broadway. I really enjoyed both films, and it made me want to watch more classics. Something I bet my Grandpa would like to do, so I'll wait to do that until my next trip to Michigan!

posted by Unknown @ Thursday, July 17, 2008