December 27th, 2008 by Gypsy
Photo: Wild Quaker Parrots in Flight Over Midwood, Brooklyn
How did they get here? It’s a long story!
Attention all Urban Parrot fans: the next Wild Brooklyn Parrot Safari will happen on Saturday, January 3rd, 2009, at 11 AM. All interested wild parrot fans should meet at Brooklyn College’s Hillel Gate, which is at the intersection of Hillel Place and Campus Road. Our tour runs in two sections. You can attend either section, or both, depending on how many wild parrots you’d like to see!
Please e-mail me if you want to attend, so I know how many folks are coming. Note: there is no rain date for this trip. If we’re rained out, please join us in February 2009.
Wild Parrot Safari — First Section (Brooklyn College): 11:00 AM to 12:30PM
At 11 AM, we’ll inspect the Brooklyn Parrots’ “Ellis Island.” Their large nests around the soccer field represents the first major colony in Brooklyn. The site is easy to get to via public transportation. Just take the Number 2 train (Seventh Avenue IRT) to the end of the line, walk one block Southwest on Hillel Street past the new Starbucks, and look for the main Brooklyn College date. The tour begins at the entrance at 11:00 AM sharp. Allow some extra time, given that the MTA is doing lots of construction/train re-routing on weekends. Driving instructions are available at Brooklyn College’s main Web site. Parking is fairly easy to come by in the neighborhood. If you’re late, just call me: I’ll give you directions so that you can meet up with us if the tour is already in progress.
Wild Parrot Safari — Second Section (Green-Wood Cemetery): 1:30PM-3PM.
Due to popular demand, our monthly tour will run an optional “second section.” After getting our share of the raucous antics of the Brooklyn College Parrots, at approximately 12:30 PM, our group will walk to the Q Train (BMT) station at Avenue H and journey to Green-Wood Cemetery, where we will observe the late-afternoon antics of the parrots residing there. If you just want to see the Green-Wood parrots, show up at 1:30 PM and we’ll be there. To get to Green-Wood, take the R Train to 25th Street and walk one block East to 25th and 5th Avenue.
What to Bring/What to Wear
Please bring a photo ID (this is required by Brooklyn College Security). Bring binoculars and a camera if you’d like to immortalize your wild parrot-watching experience. The weather will be cool or cold, but we’ll be exposed to the wind and possibly strong sun, so bring a hat/sunscreen if you have sensitive skin. I ordinarily do not cancel the tour unless the forecast is for sustained rain/snow in which birds will not fly.
Please feel free to wear anything except bright orange (Monk Parrots freak out when you show them something orange: in fact orange tags are one of the best ways to convince Monk Parrots to build away from electrical infrastructure). Wear green, blue, white, but orange will drive away the birds.
This Tour is Free, But the Parrots Are Hungry!
The Wild Parrot Safari is free - if you wish to help your hungry urban feathered friends, bring some bird seed: trust me, the parrots won’t soon forget the gesture. Wild monk parrots also appreciate “real parrot food,” especially unshelled peanuts, sliced apples, and raw sunflower seeds. Finch food or millet are always welcomed by our hungry urban “peeps.”
See you in wild, exotic Brooklyn!
Steve Baldwin, Webmaster, BrooklynParrots.com
steve@brooklynparrots.com
January 2009 is Parrot Month on 10000Birds.com, a popular bird blog whose contributors include Charlie Moores, Corey Finger, and many other birds distributed across the globe. Why have a “parrot month?” Well, parrots are the bird group with the most endangered species among them, plus they’re fascinating and engaging creatures. I’ll be contributing to the content associated with this project; in the meantime, please check out 10000Birds.com: it’s a great site
