Look! Up in the sky! It’s a………… uh, parrots?
PICTURE OF THE MOMENT
As I was driving around Clairemont stop-signing this morning, I saw about ten big birds sitting on the utility wires. I had no idea what they were but I knew I had not seen them before. Here are two of them:
The best I can tell, these are red-crowned parrots (Amazona viridigenalis). I’m open to correction since parrots don’t reside naturally in California. All the populations we have here are the descendants of escaped pet parrots.
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Posted on April 15, 2012, in Birds, Fauna, Mother & Father Nature, Photos, Picture of the Moment and tagged amazona viridigenalis, clairemont, parrot, red-crowned parrot. Bookmark the permalink. 9 Comments.
Russel – that is CRAZY to see parrots on utility lines! We have Mexican Love Birds here in AZ – some nested in my in-law’s orchid tree. I thought maybe yours were related, but I found this site: http://www.lovenlet.com/mexican.html and I guess there isn’t any color variation in them – so yours are something different!
Of course they’re special! And photographed by a special guy! lol
By the way, did you see this year’s pictures of the Carlsbad Flower Fields? It wasn’t a Friday Flower Fiesta post so you might have missed it. It’s at http://russelrayphotos2.com/2012/04/07/they-look-more-spectacular-than-ever/.
Great capture, Russel – the focus of the parrots is excellent.
Thanks! I used to have no problem focusing because I was using spot focusing with a 38-300mm lens. That lens has been in New York at the warranty repair shop. I really miss it.
The lens I’m using right now is a 55-250mm and focusing on thos long-distance birds is kind of hit and miss. I just shoot 30 pictures (or however many the birds allow me before they fly off) and then choose the best ones in Lightroom when I get home.
NICE job!!!! How fun to see them!!
They are very like the ones we get here that are wild – how interesting that yours are all escapees!
I think these are descendants of escapees. From what I’ve been able to determine, the colonies are well established and growing.
Wonderful capture with great timing
Lol what in the world??? Lol cute picture