Reports from Ft Lee and Upper Manhattan

Yesterday Mayra reported:

“Hi -

Just wanted you to know that about two months ago I saw my first parrot  just south of Fort Lee.  I have seen several since then on the same stretch of road. Last week, on two occasions, I saw a beautiful smallish parrot on Riverside Drive in Manhattan, around 96th Street.  Oh, joyous!”

It is quite thrilling when you notice them for the first time, isn’t it? Then, once that happens, like many other things you all of a sudden see them everywhere! It’s almost always likely that with these guys, you’ll hear them way before you see them – then just look up!

PS: I do wonder if the Riverside Dr. bird might be an escapee?…

Another State Comes in with a Sighting

Today, Carol from New Jersey reported:

“Hi!
My family and I are lovers of the Quaker parrots. I’m from Leonia, New Jersey and there are a few nests outside Overpeck Park, and on other streets which are close to my home.

I have a suet feeder which the birds flock to. We’ve had 12 or more parrots at a time chowing down suet. Since I’m retired, I have the time to stock the suet feeder with blocks of suet…. this is one of my favorite hobbies…. to keep the Quakers fed.

We’ve noticed that the birds come to the backyard around November and leave pretty much in the spring/summer months. Much to our surprise they reappear at the
feeder around October/November when the weather begins to have a chill in the air. The suet feeder is really not very large, but I shove a good amount of suet in it daily… they don’t seem to mind waiting for a turn to get closer to the suet!

The Quaker….. yes….quite amazing to watch….. and we do have a great “birds eye view” of the Quaker.
I loved reading your great info about the Quaker….. .Hopefully, our Quaker friends are here to stay.
Have a great day.”

Thank you Carol for the wonderful update. It’s really not surprising at all that the parrots appear when they do. It is during the autumn and winter months that our friends are almost totally reliant on back yard feeders. Sounds like they are in great hands at your place!

Happy Ending (so far) for Wild Parrots in Edgewater NJ

This was sent to me today from George Sommers:

“More feral Quaker news: Edgewater, NJ Environmental Commission head Karen Reide, her husband Bruce the vice chair and parrot expert Alison Evans-Fragale teamed up with Joe Casimiro of Newark’s Power Concrete Co.The company had been contracted to clean and repair the Hendricks Causeway Bridge in Ridgefiled, NJ which coincidentally had become the unlikely setting for several feral Quaker parrot nests. Casimiro had his workers build 4X4 plywood boxes on two nearby unused utility poles. The original nests were cleared off the bridges before any eggs were laid, and the parrots happily adapted to the new arrangement. (Thanks for the news tip to Mass. Cage Bird Association; via Record columnist Mike Kelly.)”