Hello all,

I am a Canadian journalist and am working on a story about the
expanding parakeet population in London.
My research tells me that the population is currently expanding at 30
per cent annually for at least the last 5 years and is continuing to
grow. A favorite food of the birds in the city - fruit, vegetables,
cereal grains etc.
My request is this: have any of you had your gardens pecked at by
parakeets?sightings of parakeets in your gardens or friends gardens?
Anybody in London or the suburbs who could help me and would be
willing to talk would be great. Thank you kindly.

B

"Ben" wrote in message
I am a Canadian journalist and am working on a story about the
expanding parakeet population in London.
My research tells me that the population is currently expanding at 30
per cent annually for at least the last 5 years and is continuing to
grow. A favorite food of the birds in the city - fruit, vegetables,
cereal grains etc.
My request is this: have any of you had your gardens pecked at by
parakeets?sightings of parakeets in your gardens or friends gardens?
Anybody in London or the suburbs who could help me and would be
willing to talk would be great. Thank you kindly.


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.
They fly over to roost every evening.

--
Regards
Bob
in Runnymede, 17miles west of London, UK

Bob Hobden wrote:
"Ben" wrote in message

I am a Canadian journalist and am working on a story about the
expanding parakeet population in London.
My research tells me that the population is currently expanding at 30
per cent annually for at least the last 5 years and is continuing to
grow. A favorite food of the birds in the city - fruit, vegetables,
cereal grains etc.
My request is this: have any of you had your gardens pecked at by
parakeets?sightings of parakeets in your gardens or friends gardens?
Anybody in London or the suburbs who could help me and would be
willing to talk would be great. Thank you kindly.



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.
They fly over to roost every evening.

Could there be more than one such incident? ISTR a flock of green
parakeets living wild in and around Bromley, Kent (South East edge of
London) about 20 years ago.

--
Howard Neil

On Thu, 15 Jul 2004 19:16:16 +0100, Howard Neil
wrote:

Bob Hobden wrote:
"Ben" wrote in message

I am a Canadian journalist and am working on a story about the
expanding parakeet population in London.
My research tells me that the population is currently expanding at 30
per cent annually for at least the last 5 years and is continuing to
grow. A favorite food of the birds in the city - fruit, vegetables,
cereal grains etc.
My request is this: have any of you had your gardens pecked at by
parakeets?sightings of parakeets in your gardens or friends gardens?
Anybody in London or the suburbs who could help me and would be
willing to talk would be great. Thank you kindly.



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.
They fly over to roost every evening.

Could there be more than one such incident? ISTR a flock of green
parakeets living wild in and around Bromley, Kent (South East edge of
London) about 20 years ago.

There are flocks in West London including Kew.
By the end of the decade there could be 100,000 parakeets according to
Radio 4 a few days ago. Will roast parakeet replace chicken?
--
Martin

"Ben" wrote in message
I am a Canadian journalist and am working on a story about the
expanding parakeet population in London.
My research tells me that the population is currently expanding at 30
per cent annually for at least the last 5 years and is continuing to
grow. A favorite food of the birds in the city - fruit, vegetables,
cereal grains etc.
My request is this: have any of you had your gardens pecked at by
parakeets?sightings of parakeets in your gardens or friends gardens?
Anybody in London or the suburbs who could help me and would be
willing to talk would be great. Thank you kindly.


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.
They fly over to roost every evening.


According to Bill Oddy on TV last month, there's another theory that they
escaped from the set of an Indian-type film.

".......... Will roast parakeet replace chicken? ........"

if they do wont they be Parakate?

--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

"datsy" wrote in message
"Ben" wrote in message
I am a Canadian journalist and am working on a story about the
expanding parakeet population in London.
My research tells me that the population is currently expanding at 30
per cent annually for at least the last 5 years and is continuing to
grow. A favorite food of the birds in the city - fruit, vegetables,
cereal grains etc.
My request is this: have any of you had your gardens pecked at by
parakeets?sightings of parakeets in your gardens or friends gardens?
Anybody in London or the suburbs who could help me and would be
willing to talk would be great. Thank you kindly.


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.
They fly over to roost every evening.


According to Bill Oddy on TV last month, there's another theory that they
escaped from the set of an Indian-type film.

Well that must have been a long time ago 'cause the "Surrey Parrots" have
been around here for decades. It's true they are a common sight around Delhi
etc, our Indian guide and the rest in our party thought I was mad when I
pointed and shouted "look Surrey Parrots" all those years ago. :-)

To go back to the original poster, whilst I've never seen any land in my
garden only fly over, I have a friend that lives a couple of miles away at
Wraysbury who assures me they do visit local gardens and bird tables there.
As I've said before they do like to "prune" the young shoots of trees
especially horse chestnut as I found to my cost when I parked under one last
spring, car was covered in sticky buds and shoots. A local council employee
told me they had made a "right mess" of the trees in a park in Chertsey
during the winter, tearing off the bark.

Going back to my original legend post, that is the legend but I'm more
inclined to think they were probably from some escapees from the parrot
breeding/sales place at Wraysbury.

I've seen them breeding in the trees in both Syon Park (first noticed, must
be, about 10 years ago or more) and at the Savill Garden and Bushy Park, in
fact anywhere there are tall trees with holes along the Thames valley.

--
Regards
Bob
in Runnymede, 17miles west of London, UK

Ben wrote:

Hello all,

I am a Canadian journalist and am working on a story about the
expanding parakeet population in London.
My research tells me that the population is currently expanding at 30
per cent annually for at least the last 5 years and is continuing to
grow. A favorite food of the birds in the city - fruit, vegetables,
cereal grains etc.
My request is this: have any of you had your gardens pecked at by
parakeets?sightings of parakeets in your gardens or friends gardens?
Anybody in London or the suburbs who could help me and would be
willing to talk would be great. Thank you kindly.


Ben, while there's nothing wrong with asking about this in
uk.rec.gardening, there's also uk.rec.birdwatching -- some of whom do
watch birds in their gardens!

We lived in Chertsey, Surrey about 20 years ago, and ring-necked
parakeets came regularly if not frequently to our birdfeeder (a wire
tube containing peanuts). The first time I saw one I literally could not
believe my eyes; it shone like a jewel against the drab grey and brown
of our garden in winter.

regards
sarah

--
NB. Note change of *usenet* email address:
'amitiel.demon.do.uk' will soon cease to function.
My other email address will remain valid.
Think of it as evolution in action :-)

"datsy" wrote in message
...

snip


According to Bill Oddy on TV last month, there's another theory that they
escaped from the set of an Indian-type film.



There's another urban legend that many escaped during the shooting of the
studio parts of the 'African Queen' movie. But they were imported into
Europe for centuries, as pets, curiosities, and luxury food items, so it's
not surprising that some have escaped and are naturalising.

I am a Canadian journalist and am working on a story about the
expanding parakeet population in London.
My research tells me that the population is currently expanding at 30
per cent annually for at least the last 5 years and is continuing to
grow. A favorite food of the birds in the city - fruit, vegetables,
cereal grains etc.
My request is this: have any of you had your gardens pecked at by
parakeets?sightings of parakeets in your gardens or friends gardens?
Anybody in London or the suburbs who could help me and would be
willing to talk would be great. Thank you kindly.

Ben

I live in Esher, reported to be the home of one of the colonies. But
as you can see from the BBC report the colonies are spread far and
wide.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/3869815.stm

In my experience they feast on buds and very young fruit from trees.

My nieghbours have Prunus - thats Cherry trees, these are popular with
the parrots in spring time when they peck the tree tops - but not to
the point of devastation.

Also popular at that time of year is Crateagus and Betula.

As for eating fruit, veg , cereal and grain - I cannot comment. In my
experience I have never see these birds come down to the ground, so
the idea of them eating veg does not seem to ring true.

As for eating cereal and grain - we are talking about London suburbs
here, its not a big grain farming region. Maybe they do eat these
things if people put them out on bird tables or in feeders.

Anyway take a look at the pictures from the BBC report, and that is
what most of them look like, Green with reddish beaks.

Hope that helps

Phil, Esher, Surrey

"David Hill" wrote in message ...
".......... Will roast parakeet replace chicken? ........"

if they do wont they be Parakate?

As long as they haven't been treated with the popular chemical
control, Paraquate. In Australia, a well-known delicacy led to the
invention of the nursery-rhyme "Paracake, paracake, baker's man".

If you can get enough dead ones, you can make the feathers into an
unusual and attractive floor-covering: in the trade this is known as
paraquet.

Mike.

Ben wrote:

Hello all,

I am a Canadian journalist and am working on a story about the
expanding parakeet population in London.
My research tells me that the population is currently expanding at 30
per cent annually for at least the last 5 years and is continuing to
grow. A favorite food of the birds in the city - fruit, vegetables,
cereal grains etc.
My request is this: have any of you had your gardens pecked at by
parakeets?sightings of parakeets in your gardens or friends gardens?
Anybody in London or the suburbs who could help me and would be
willing to talk would be great. Thank you kindly.

B

Ben,
I suppose that you know they are not only around London? For many
years, there have been colonies of Ring-neck parakeets near Brussels -
and in Holland, too.
Interesting, yes, but also sad - they are pushing out other bird
species that also used to breed in hollow trees.
Roger.



There's more than money to be looked for in this short life of ours

"David Hill" wrote in message ...
".......... Will roast parakeet replace chicken? ........"

if they do wont they be Parakate?

As long as they haven't been treated with the popular chemical
control, Paraquate. In Australia, a well-known delicacy led to the
invention of the nursery-rhyme "Paracake, paracake, baker's man".

If you can get enough dead ones, you can make the feathers into an
unusual and attractive floor-covering: in the trade this is known as
paraquet.

Mike.

Ben wrote:

Hello all,

I am a Canadian journalist and am working on a story about the
expanding parakeet population in London.
My research tells me that the population is currently expanding at 30
per cent annually for at least the last 5 years and is continuing to
grow. A favorite food of the birds in the city - fruit, vegetables,
cereal grains etc.
My request is this: have any of you had your gardens pecked at by
parakeets?sightings of parakeets in your gardens or friends gardens?
Anybody in London or the suburbs who could help me and would be
willing to talk would be great. Thank you kindly.

B

Ben,
I suppose that you know they are not only around London? For many
years, there have been colonies of Ring-neck parakeets near Brussels -
and in Holland, too.
Interesting, yes, but also sad - they are pushing out other bird
species that also used to breed in hollow trees.
Roger.



There's more than money to be looked for in this short life of ours

Ben wrote:

Hello all,

I am a Canadian journalist and am working on a story about the
expanding parakeet population in London.
My research tells me that the population is currently expanding at 30
per cent annually for at least the last 5 years and is continuing to
grow. A favorite food of the birds in the city - fruit, vegetables,
cereal grains etc.
My request is this: have any of you had your gardens pecked at by
parakeets?sightings of parakeets in your gardens or friends gardens?
Anybody in London or the suburbs who could help me and would be
willing to talk would be great. Thank you kindly.

B

Ben,
I suppose that you know they are not only around London? For many
years, there have been colonies of Ring-neck parakeets near Brussels -
and in Holland, too.
Interesting, yes, but also sad - they are pushing out other bird
species that also used to breed in hollow trees.
Roger.



There's more than money to be looked for in this short life of ours