Last year I had the great fortune of meeting and chatting with Mark Bittner. (Read my interview with him here.) You may remember him as the subject of the award winning 2005 documentary The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. I've often wondered if South Pasadena had its very own parrot whisperer. You know, a special human being closely connected to our own flock.
I have my answer!
Take a look at the parrot magnetism above. Ever wonder what happens to the little baby parrots who fall out of those nests waaaaaaay up high in the trees? Well, if they're fortunate enough to be discovered by Yvonne, they get rehabilitated and given the all around royal parrot treatment. Here, Yvonne hangs out with Lucky, her latest rescue. Lucky screeched at me when I got too close to the great human love of his life, but he was kind enough to let me photograph him from a few feet away. (Finally! I managed to grab a shot of one of South Pasadena's parrots up close and in focus!)
Friendship. It's for the birds -- and us, too.
17 comments:
AWWW Bless Yvonne!! Lucky is appropos for them both.
So great. Love this.
Cue the Twilight Zone theme LA.
How cool! Glad the little guy didn't end up cat food.
Laughing, Wayne!
I love people like Yvonne. I wonder if Lucky will stay with her?
The wild parrots moved into Burbank this past winter. I haven't managed to get a glimpse at any of them yet, but I hear them plenty.
Thanks, everyone!
Vanda, I guess our parrots just need to expand their neighborhood!
I really enjoyed The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill (especially th ending).
K, me too. It was great to chat with Mark B too.
I, for one, am not enamored of these squawking nuisances.
Sure, they're fascinating to watch, but they are horribly destructive to backyard fruit trees.
We should look at them with the same fuzzy warmth as we do at cockroaches and rats.
The parrots looooooove South Pasadena. The only community I know of that stands a distance second is Temple City. Maybe because of their huge electrical towers?
Anonymous makes me sad.
I adore the parrots. I still can't believe I live in such a magical place where flocks of parrots eat the berries from my camphor trees and perch in the branches above my bedroom skylight. Personally, I consider them a blessing and proof of nature's whimsy. But then again, I felt the same about the dozens of deer grazing on my flower beds in Texas and the amazing tiny neon green tree frogs keeping me up all night with their songs when Jon and I were in St. Lucia. :-)
Rats and cockroaches (and Texas rattlesnakes and ciccadas and Caribbean mosquitoes) not so much.
Right on, Laurie! I know the parrots are noisy and love fruit but I love them too.
(Hey, new avatar there. Did you put pink in your hair? Cool!)
GG, who me? Would I do something like that?
;-)
I know the parrots are an issue with some, and I respect that, but I'd be devastated if they were gone. (I also don't care that we have to spend a fortune rooting heritage tree roots out of pipes, either.)
Oops, posted too soon. My point about tree roots and cost to me as a homeowner is that the small hassle is worth it for the ambiance of trees. Same goes for me and parrots. I've heard Hawaiians talk about the humidity one of two ways: either it's ungodly and awful, or just the price you pay for living in the land of rainbows. That's kinda my attitude in a nutshell but I'm weird and romantic.
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