I believe these are beautiful birds. Many locals feel they are raucous, messy, annoying and a pest. And yes, they can be in large flocks. A local park has a feeding ground for them where visitors and tourists can experience the birds up close, feeding them by hand and having them alight on their shoulders and arms. Locals feel that this ruins the area, causes damage to their properties and would prefer the park isn’t there. Personally I think the feeding area helps keep the birds away from the local’s houses. Granted, if the feeding area and park wasn’t there then perhaps the birds wouldn’t have migrated and bred in this area. But it’s hard to say. The birds do like to gnaw on wood and many homes around here are made of wood, as is ours also. We do have feeders here at home but we have a large enough property to keep the feeders away from the house in our own private park where the birds do come from time to time. I make sure I don’t put food out that regularly that birds think it’s always going to be there. It’s more a treat now and then – when I’d like to get some photos.
These images were taken at Grant’s Picnic Grounds where there were a group of visitors enjoying the sights today. Makes a change, it’s been raining for days but today it was just cloudy and still. A fairly pleasant day.
This photographer had an assistant.
