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| The Parrot Pages | ||||||
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From October 1993 to September 1999 my life was taken over by a completely unexpected fascination with the flock of wild parrots that makes its home in the north waterfront area in San Francisco, the so-called Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. I had to leave Telegraph Hill in late 1999. Because they are tropical birds, many people assumed that the flock needed the extra food I gave them. But this was never the case. The fact that the flock thrived in my absence proved what I'd always known. A year after my departure from the hill, I had the opportunity to move back. Six months after my return, I began feeding the flock again. But the situation was much different than it was during that first six-year period. Before, I fed them as many as five times a day. When I started up again, I limited myself to feeding them once a day, and I didn't feed them every day. In fact, I often went an entire month without feeding them at all. In late 2006, for complicated reasons, I stopped feeding them altogether. A few months later, I found myself in the awkward position of having to seek a law that banned feeding the wild parrots in certain situations. The reason for this is explained in an essay here. My initial experience with the parrots led me to write a book and to participate in a documentary film, both with the title The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. The book was based on the journal I kept during those first six years. I've used the journal to make additions to these parrot pages. As I find time I'll continue to do so. I once thought that I'd have a lifetime of intimate involvement with the wild flock, but I see now that that was never meant to be. I still work to protect the flock from any harm that human beings might cause them, but I otherwise let nature take its course. The flock is doing fine. I'm working on a new book on a different subject, but to the extent that I can I still keep up with the flock's doings. I will post particularly interesting developments in News and Updates. Go to the Big FAQ to find answers to your general questions about the flock. My book answers most of the more detailed questions that people usually ask themselves. Click here to see the beginnings of a Photo Gallery. Click on the photo above to hear the parrots. Mark Bittner February 22, 2007 News and Updates Latest Update: February 8, 2008 Back to the markbittner.net home page Top photo © 2005 by Jim Herd |
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