Stuff I Saw Yesterday

My lovely city of San Francisco is home to a wild flock of parrots who delight in nibbling the blossoms off flowering trees each Spring. Every day around 4:30pm, a flock of approximately 400 parrots descend onto a lush green park located near the waterfront and begin stuffing their beaks with flowers.

This little guy took this blossom right out of my hand. If you give them apples (and you aren't supposed to, but I sneak them in) they'll fly over and sit on your shoulders and atop your head.

These noisy birds have nearly stripped this tree of its blossoms. There's a nice Flickr set of much better Wild Parrots of San Francisco photos here and there's even been a documentary film made about them.

I was able to get some close up shots of them too.

Comments

[The Bird Coop]

Wow! I have been to San Fransico many times before but never saw wild Parrots living in the trees, I guess with te mild weather there would be no reason they could not find a home in the trees, the blosoms are a nice touch, your lucky!

[tiffy]

14, please keep doing this. this blog reflects part of you and your life and thats what make it interesting and alive.
I am glad you abondoned CH and came back here!!!!

[scungilli]

here's what i don't understand, will the birds deflowering prevent the trees from "fruiting"? hope not; they're beautiful (they've been cackling at volume lately over by liverpool lil's) ...

[karrot]

They are so adorable!
be careful with the apples tho. apple seeds are poisonous and possibly lethal when digested by small chirpy parroty birds.

[finickycritic.com]

Beautiful. I would think it would too cold for parrots there.

[Webmaster Pete]

Parrots rule. I'd take the parrots over the humans too - but then I'm a weirdo 'bird' person.

[Kamala]

Wow! Awesome shots 14! Amazing how close you could get to those feathers. Looks like the Lumix is still treating you well. way cute.

[seabiscuit]

Those birds are kewl. We don't have that here.

[Miss Fifi]

LOVE LOVE That movie. Cried like a baby. Thanks for posting photos of he parrots.

[Ophelia]

I must say, these pics are amazing! I'm going to send this link to my sister-in-law who has a pet parrot. I think she would love to see this.

Thanks for posting again in the GOTA, 14!

Ophelia :)

[Demon Kitty]

14 that is sooo cute! I love animals. I like how you take random photos and post them! :)

[Dr.L.]

Absolutely gorgeous birds, 14. What resolution is your camera? I'll call on my next visit to SF, whenever that is.

[Jenn]

The Wild Parrots Of Telegraph Hill is an amazing film. Myself and my chidlren were totally taken in by it. (My daughter actually thought the title included 'pirates' and not 'parrots' :-D She figured it out.)

[14]

Salmonella - I hear you. I have that same fear of large crowds of humans. The day I was trotting around snapping photos of parrots, there were crowds of protesters all over San Francisco and I needed to stay as far away from them as possible.

Angry mobs of shouting humans vs. 400 parrots nibbling flowers...I'll take the parrots please.

xoxo 14

[Salmonella]

I usually would have sh*t my pants when I encounter a picture of a bird; I have ornithophobia. But these pics are, I wouldn't go as far as "cute," um... mild. I mean they didn't give me a heart attack or something.
But then again, the image of 400 parrots descending onto a park is not something I want to think about right now.

[hmmmm]

These are absolutely gorgeous, thank you

[east bremerton florist]

great shots!

wow!

[Susan]

How lucky you are!!! Parrots are very social critters, and really love humans. I have had parrots as pets and loved them dearly. I cannot even began to tell you how wonderful these little guys are. If you let them, a parrot will be your best friend.