Last week Mike Brown informed me that he had been lucky enough to find a Ring Necked Parakeet at the Old English Garden, Caldestones Park; if this wasn't enough he told me that John Warren a local parks gardener and birder had seen a pair in Greenbank park/Sefton Park throughout the winter. If it wasn't for the report coming from John I would never have believed it as Greenbank Park is literally 100 yards from home and as my posts show I am forever in there with the boy! You can usually hear these critters screeching from half a mile away! But sure enough as I was riding through on Friday I stopped to listen to an unusual call (like a toy trumpet!), not at all like the loud calls Ive heard from this species in the past.........see January posts, the bird was in the trees above the west side of the lake and was soon disturbed and flew towards Greenbank Lane. I wonder if there are still 2 around, and weather they are a breeding pair? I will keep my ears and eyes peeled.
2 Redpolls flew NW over my house and a male Orange Tip through my back yard was a nice surprise. Mute Swans are still sitting tight on eggs at Greenbank Park and the male Grey Heron has returned after only 8 weeks away (that must have been its breeding season!).
7 comments:
Hi Danny. Do you know if this parakeet is a released bird/escaped?
I used to live near Kew Gardens and they were very common there,and was wondering if they had made it up here under their own steam.
7.30pm Easter Sunday. sitting in brothers garden tonight on Aigburth Rd, when ringed necked parakeet flew across.
Hi Tommy, I believe that most of the small populations of Parakeets 'up north' are from recently escaped stock rather than spreading southern populations. As with the breeding population in Lytham St Annes and the Alexandrine Parakeet population in North Liverpool about 10 years back (with all of the later poulation being eventualy shot by vandals). I find it quite interesting that these reports in South Liverpool have started during the severe winter as I have read of a few unusual escapees occuring nationwide due to heavy snow breaking avaries in private collections, this may be what has happened here (at least thats my theory). It does seem that with Mike Browns report from Calderstones, John Warrens from Greenbank/Sefton Parks, my own from Greenbank, and todays report from Sean at Aigburth Road that we could have the seeds sown for a new local population. Some people are dead against them but I for one would love to see them more often in this area. Fingers Crossed.
Hi Sean, tahts great another local birder is picking them up, it would be interesting to if they continue to be sighted. Thanks for the post
I think a population of parekeets established themselves in Richmond Park, SW London ( I've seen a flock of over a hundred there about 8 years back). Sefton Park isn't that different, and if like you say they have survived the winter up here, then there is nothing to stop them. I know they cause some problems, and people will be against them, but it will make this place brighter. Little Owls were introduced here, in fact they are not even on the traffic light colour coded conservation scheme for British breeding birds ( along with pheasant, Egyptian geese and Mandarin duck!). But people don't mind because they add to the diversity, and I hope the case is the same for the parakeets.
Hi Tommy, Yeah I totaly agree with your comment about Parakeets adding diversity to are local bird populations. Some people are increadibly gun-ho about introduced species.........Parakeets are a species that pose little threat to our native species other than maybe competing for nesting sites; a good reason for more people to errect nest boxes for our native birds. I for one would love to see more of these birds further north.
3.15 15/11/2016 For your information Pair of Parakeets feeding on our feeder Off Mersey Road Aigburth L19 3RD
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