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Laura
Miss
67 Posts |
 Posted - 09/03/2010 : 09:03:19
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Hi everyone
We've included an article in the April issue of Garden Answers about parakeets being spotted in gardens. There are fears that they are increasing in number, and spreading across the country, whereas before they were mainly to be found in London.
The RSPB doesn't think parakeets are too much of a problem at the moment but they are worried that, with numbers increasing, they may start to displace our native birds and strip whole fields of fruit crops etc.
So far we've had one letter from a reader in Milton Keynes saying they regularly see parakeets in their garden. I just wondered whether anyone on the forum gets parakeets in their gardens? This way we can map how quickly they're spreading and where to. |
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Cherry
Moderator
 12178 Posts |
Posted - 09/03/2010 : 09:06:12
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| These are actually Indian in origin, not Australian, and they have not reached Norfolk as far as I know. |
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grindle
Mrs
13904 Posts |
Posted - 09/03/2010 : 10:38:51
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| I've not seen any in my part of West Devon either |
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steve
Moderator
23005 Posts |
Posted - 09/03/2010 : 12:33:02
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| Not seen any around here Laura |
Steve
In Ilkeston |
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Loublou
Mrs
18174 Posts |
Posted - 09/03/2010 : 15:42:31
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Perhaps a tad too chilly for them in North Northumberland....no sign of them here |
The answer lies in Northumberland soil. |
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tel7772
Mr
5171 Posts |
Posted - 09/03/2010 : 15:47:15
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| No sign of them here neither. |
Terry in Bradford, Yorkshire.
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SueA
Tree
4537 Posts |
Posted - 09/03/2010 : 16:09:19
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Nope, they'd drown around here! |
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pennyron
Tree
9916 Posts |
Posted - 09/03/2010 : 16:40:25
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| I recon if they arrived here in Cheshire the vicious Magpies would kill um. |
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Wildlife_friendly
Mrs
3182 Posts |
Posted - 09/03/2010 : 16:43:07
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Hubby used to have lots of them in Poole (Dorset) and they’ve been reported just up the coast from us, but I haven’t spotted any in South Devon.
The OH said they were horrible birds to have around and stopped him using his garden because they were so noisy.
I do hope they don’t come down this far. |
 Encouraging wildlife in Devon. |
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pennyron
Tree
9916 Posts |
Posted - 09/03/2010 : 16:52:18
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| I agree they are very noisy I've seen them on TV, glad I kept my gun. |
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Louise
Mrs
6726 Posts |
Posted - 09/03/2010 : 19:01:29
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Gardening in the West Country |
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MotherGoose
Tree
17779 Posts |
Posted - 09/03/2010 : 19:06:09
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I thought when I read about this in G/A that it was an "April Fool"
Crikey...are there really parakeets appearing in gardens? Not seen any here...just the robin, a couple of wood pigeons and the blackbirds...do they count? |
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sweetpea
Tree
8376 Posts |
Posted - 09/03/2010 : 19:13:09
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Used to get loads of them when I lived in Surrey (New Malden) and often saw them in the gardens I worked in too.
You always heard them before you saw them and the would fly very fast too.
Not seen or heard of any here in S. Wales yet.
Beautiful birds though and whatever faults they may or may not have they make up for it by adding a bit of exotica to the garden. |
Gardening in South Wales (Pembrokeshire) |
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MotherGoose
Tree
17779 Posts |
Posted - 09/03/2010 : 19:24:38
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| Well if they've any sense they won't bother coming "Up North"...its too cold for "exotica" up here |
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sweetpea
Tree
8376 Posts |
Posted - 09/03/2010 : 19:35:56
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quote:
Originally posted by MotherGoose
Well if they've any sense they won't bother coming "Up North"...its too cold for "exotica" up here
Don't you believe it MG. Thery are tough as old boots. Their main winter problem is food and they get that from bird tables. |
Gardening in South Wales (Pembrokeshire) |
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grindle
Mrs
13904 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2010 : 06:08:14
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| I saw a lot of them in Hyde Park a couple of weeks ago, also last year at Hampton Court. I think they're really pretty birds |
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SueA
Tree
4537 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2010 : 12:24:52
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| When we had those really cold nights around Christmas/Jan. when the temp. dropped to around minus 15c I kept hearing a loud tweet in the night. It sounded like a parakeet or cockatiel & I thought one must have escaped as some neighbours at the back of us have an aviary in their garden. The O.H. was woken by it too & he agreed it sounded like a bird, I looked out of the window to see if it was in the huge conifer across the road but couldn't see anything. I lay there thinking it would freeze to death & maybe I could find our old birdcage & tempt it down with some bird food. The 'cheeping' got louder & closer together & I thought it must be panicking. Eventually it got frantic & I looked out of the window again & realised that it was a burglar alarm across the street which had gone faulty because of the freezing temperatures! |
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sweetpea
Tree
8376 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2010 : 14:53:38
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| I've heard of birds imitating artificial sounds, like phone ring tones eg but not the other way around |
Gardening in South Wales (Pembrokeshire) |
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Parakeets in your garden