Parrot Flock

 A few weeks ago, I was walking a dog in the early morning when a squawking flock of birds passed overhead. I snapped a few fast photos. A careful look at the pictures reveals the flock was probably several hundred strong.

I knew my neighborhood had a few parrots--mostly escaped pets who thrive on all the fruit trees of L.A.--but I'd never seen such a number all in one place.

And these birds made an entirely different sort of sound as they flew over:

A few days after the sighting the flock, I was buying more birdseed at my local shop for all things  wild. The owner saw my photos and asked some questions about the flock's behavior. He was fairly sure they are Red-Lored Parrots:

Photo: Wikipedia

He also told me that L.A. is home to something like 20 different species of parrots. Such beauty! And it's all there, every day, hiding in our urban jungle.

Now when I take the dogs for walks, I look up every time I hear a single squawk or cheep or coo. I never know if I'll see anything, but there's always a chance it will be a magic moment like this was.