Ring-necked Parakete - Psittacula krameri
The sound of the South of London. The under generations of escaped birds roost in their thousands at places like Esher rugby club. They are currently nesting in the wall of the visitor's building at the WWT reserve at Barn Elms. Once a bird has a self sustaining population - i.e. birds being born in the wild it can be declared a C list tick in a given country. A bit like a Big Brother contestant at film premier it hangs around the edges being noisy and garish in an attempt to steal the show.
In Dubai these birds are widespread and also off the boat. You can hear them on a daily basis at dusk calling in small parties as they make their way to roost sites. For shame I am not sure where home really is for these birds. I would assume India and hopefully a trip at the end of this month on a first recce into that sub-continent (I am not counting Sri Lanka) will clear that one up.
You will forgive me if for a while my photos are "quantity not quality". I have a mad notion that I am going to try for 500 birds by the time the year is out. Why - we choose to go to India, Tanzania and do the other things not because they are easy, but because they are well..relatively easy when the worlds new busiest airport is 20 minutes away and a big chunk of the "Old World" within a few hours of there. I blew a good chance to take lots of photos in the UK last week becuase I was busy working and worrying about other stuff. I am going to spend a morning at my parents bird feeder this Summer ! That should do for 15 species in a morning.
What I will promise to do is back fill better pictures than dashed snaps as I go along. Check out Whitethroat - you will see a back filled picture added from the ''bird canon". The same has been happening with shrikes and wheatears. The bird posts going back should become bird pages over time. Lots to look forward to this birding year.
Ring-necked Parakete, Psittacula Krameri
Barn Elms, London
April 2012
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