On 16/7/04 6:52 am, in article ,
"Dave Poole" wrote:


The legend is that these Birds come from a couple that were released from
their cage onboard a barge that was sinking in the Staines/Wraysbury area.
Indeed they were first noticed around the Wraysbury area and seem to have
spread along the R.Thames from there. I myself have counted over 50 in one
flock flying over my house.

Populations of Indian Ring-neck Parakeets have been increasing for
well over half a century. In pre and post WW2 years, they were
imported into this country in their thousands. They were very cheap
and countless unwary folks bought them in the hope of having a
brightly coloured, talking bird. Unfortunately although Ring-necks
are decidedly handsome and very elegant in flight, they are
exceptionally noisy and unless hand-reared, make very poor pets. When
wild-caught, the males are skittish and nervous, whilst the females
are either moody or very bad tempered and prone to biting.

snip

I don't know if they fall into the parrot category but there is or was a
flock of love birds living in the barn and eaves of a house in St Martin,
Jersey. They came into my garden quite often and the first time I heard
them I thought I was dreaming. I had a pair in a cage in our kitchen and
couldn't understand how they'd ended up in a cherry tree! My ex-fil owned
two lovebirds which escaped and I've often wondered if this small colony was
founded, unintentionally, by him!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds after garden to email me)