Ring Necked Parakeet

[pduxon]

Can anyone tell me where/when I am most likely to see one of these? I was thinking of Kew Gardens.

Pete

[Michael Frankis]

Esher Rugby Club, wherever that is, is supposed to have the largest roost (several thousand in winter!)

But there's certainly plenty in the Kew area. You probably don't need to pay to go in the gardens, try the riverside path along the NW edge of Kew Gardens.

Michael

[Woody]

I've seen them at Quex house in Kent, noisy devils so difficult to miss.

Woody

[esmondb]

RN Parakeets are always easy to see in Richmond Park. Park up at Roehampton Gate and walk along the brook past the golf course and look up into the trees. Beverley brook is also good for kingfishers, if it's not too busy and grey wagtails.
In fact, walk anywhere close to the tree line in Richmond Park and you'll have trouble avoiding parakeets.

[andy]

Wraysbury gravel pits just off the M25, go into Magna Carta Lane and look around that area, nearly always had them here and also very good birding for other species on the gravel pits in the area. i think it is junction 13 you come off the m25 Good luck ANDY

[Charles Harper]

Are these the same as Rose-ringed Parrakeet? (I think I've asked this before, but I forgot the answer if I did.)

[esmondb]

one and the same, Charles

[Eileen]

These beautiful birds can be seen living wild in Richmond Park, London. Well worth a visit but you have to be patient.:news: :news: :frog:

[pduxon]

thanks Eileen

and may I be the first to welcome you to the forum. Hope you find it as useful and much fun as I do.

[Doug]

I have seen tem in the grounds of Hampton Court too - a taste of the tropics right in London. Noisy lot they were too.

[dylan]

I've seen a few today by the river Mole in Surrey, there seem to be more & more of them around.
Also see them regularly in Bushy Park (next to Hampton Court Park).

They are very noisy.

[pduxon]

many thanks - I might try Kew or Hampton Court first. both places I want to visit in their own. Then agian Richmond is somewhere I've got to go at some stage. So many things to do.

[Grousemore]

One other place is the WWT at Barnes,which is a good birding day out in any event.

[James Armstrong]

On the sea-front between Ramsgate and Broadstairs, Kent, there's a park (King George V) There's a colony there up by the
old house and the small wood at the back. Follow the screeching!
Access the park either from the main road between the two resorts or park right at the end of Ramsgate promenade and enter the park that way then head up diagonally away from the sea. I stumbled across them a year ago and couldn't believe it!

[James]

Just to show they are not all "darn sarff" I remember there used to be one at Poynton in Cheshire that lived with magpies. Anyone know if it is still there?

James

[Michael Frankis]

Hi James,

No idea if it is still there or not, but it is almost certainly a local escape, not one of the feral population, and so not 'tickable'

Michael

[James]

Wrong Michael

It had a sticker saying "Friends of Kew Gardens" on its wing!
Either that or it came all the way from India. It just shows how crazy bird watching is when you can tick an exotic parakeet in London but not in Cheshire!

James

[Eileen]

All the sightings seem to have been "down south" does anyone know if any have been seen "north of the border"? Maybe they'll spread here eventually, although I think our winters are just too severe, but what with global warming you never can tell.

[Michael Frankis]

None that I'm aware of, though there may well have been some local escapes.

There's been 4 or 5 records in Northumberland, all concluded to be local escapes (e.g. there's been many more records of Cockatiels than Ring-necked Parakeets in Northumbs, yet those are definite local escapes, not feral).

The main obstacle to their spreading to Scotland from down south wouldn't be winter cold, but lack of suitable habitat (bird tables in leafy suburbs!) between cities.

Michael

[Eileen]

Thanks Michael - I see your point.

[steve nunn]

I have seen them in Knole Park near Sevenoaks this year and everyday in the grounds of Eltham Palace South East London. Also present in numbers in Hither Green Cemetary SE London.

[martinow]

I've seen them at Reigate too

But by far the most reliable place is the roost at Esher Rugby Club, SW London that Michael mentioned in an earlier post

Martin

[Geoff Pain]

I saw a report yesterday saying that there were 3 or 4 birds at Grange Over Sands in Cumbria.Shall have to check that one out myself.

Geoff

[Bluetail]

I believe there are a (very) few pairs around Studland village in Dorset, but I've never managed to connect with them. Does anyone know how best to see them there - time of day, tree to look at, that sort of thing?

Jason

[Andrew]

Damn, just been to Studland. If only I had known.

[GreatHornedOwl]

Can anyone tell me where/when I am most likely to see one of these? I was thinking of Kew Gardens.

Pete


... Uh.... for what it's worth : dozens of them in the Parc du Cinquantenaire in Brussels, and other places in Belgium. Fast like greased lightning, but if you stay still for a while, some might alight near you in a tree so you can admire their colours.

[AndyL]

I recommend you go to Esher Rugby club (go to www.multimap.com and enter postcode KT12 3PF for map/directions) any time around sunset and you will see hundreds of parakeets returning to their roost from all directions. By day they disperse over a wide area, and by night they roost in the line of tall poplar trees that surround the Esher RFC rugby pitch.

[pduxon]

Andy

welcome to BF, I eventually popped down to WWT Barnes and saw one.

Anyway thanks to everyone for their suggestions.

[Mickymouse]

If anyones interested, Project Parakeet at http://users.ox.ac.uk/~wolf0977/projectparakeet.html
has got lots of info, it hasn't been updated in a while but it's worth a read.
BTW they are quite common place all over Ramsgate, it's hard to miss them anywhere that has trees.
Mick

[Reader]

For a few months there were a few roosting in a garden in Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands. I also had one a few years ago flying over Saltfleetby in Lincs. regarding the King George Park in Ramsgate. You can get some excellent views as there are at least 40+ of these birds there. Attached are 2 photos taken last year of birds at that very park.

[Mickymouse]

They are better than any I have managed to take and it is my patch, King George Park I mean, so well done, however this poor effort is from my back door as they gather to roost at the railway station before Railtrack or whatever they call themselves now, pulled down all the trees to build a workshop, they still roost nearby but I don't see them so often now, mores the pity, last year while walking past the station a flock of several hundred flew right around me, absolute magic.
Mick

[Tony Knight]

If you do go to Esher rugby club note it is a roost so you may see absolutely nothing until the light is just beginning to fade. Do not give up too early, its worth the wait. Flocks of 5 to 50 seem to appear from everywhere. There must be thousands all told once they are all there. Last time I went (6m ago ??) they had moved from the polars directly around the pitch to a small copse about 0.5m north on the opposite side of the road. Not sure exactly where they are congregating now.

Tony

[Alcina]

IN the past I've heard Green Park mentioned as a well known site for Ring-necked parakeet (I think this may have been back in the 80s, though). Are they still there? If so where should I look; I'm going to Hammersmith tomorrow evening for a rock concert, and thought I might stop off at dusk...

[David FG]

Almost anywhere in Thanet (East Kent). The bl***y things keep me awake at night.

[esmondb]

IN the past I've heard Green Park mentioned as a well known site for Ring-necked parakeet (I think this may have been back in the 80s, though). Are they still there? If so where should I look; I'm going to Hammersmith tomorrow evening for a rock concert, and thought I might stop off at dusk...
Wow, old thread resurrection!

If you're going to Hammersmith, why not go to the London Wetland Centre beforehand.

Opening times
9.30am to 5.00pm (last admission 4pm) Winter.

"From Hammersmith Tube take the 283, our specially branded Duck Bus, which will bring you directly into the centre. Alternatively, buses 33, 72 and 209 stop nearby (alight at the Red Lion Pub). From Barnes mainline station take bus 33 or 72 or from Barnes Bridge take bus 209"

A mere bus ride away, and you will almost certainly get ring-necked parakeet from the car park before you enter |:d|

[Alcina]

Wow, old thread resurrection!

If you're going to Hammersmith, why not go to the London Wetland Centre beforehand.

Because I won't be getting to London 'till 5.45, unfiortunately...(I've just this seciond got off work...)

[kite1035]

Now the weather is getting warmer these will be the first birds that I will hear and see on my way to the bus first thing in the mornings I have 6 to 9 top count is 20 I live about 20 minute walk from Richmond Park where there is a population

[timmyjones]

Thought this might be relevant to escaped parrakeets/conures there is a photo on surfbirds of a pair of red masked conures that are resident at gibraltar point.

[Joern Lehmhus]

Red Masked Parrakeet also has small populations in some big spanish cities (e.g. Valencia, Barcelona) and in some western US cities (San Francisco, for example).

If I remember correctly, in the wild (in Ecuador) it is an endangered species with suitable habitat rapidly shrinking , therefore it may become extinct there in the future.

Paradox, isn´t it...

[waveform]

Bushy park is a great place to see them this time of year.

They can always be heard in virtually every area of the park but they have a nesting colony by the small lakes in the east woodland gardens. (They seem to have scared off all the Squirels.)

Currently spotted 2 weeks ago were this couple who flew into a tree in the middle of the park about 20 feet away from where I was stood. He was alternating between 'kissing' her on the back of the neck and bending down and doing what looked like offering up food to her beak to beak. :eat:
After a while of this he flew onto her back and just perched there for a while and then followed this with a lot of kissing her on the back of the neck.
As he was not getting the brush off he then used his beak to hold on to her neck while mating. After a couple of minutes of squeaking an squarking he hopped off, gave her a kiss on the back of the neck and then they flew off in the direction mentioned above.

I think I'll be back there looking for baby parakeets in 2 months time.

They also nest in the trees along the river from Hampton Court to Kingston.