The parakeets on the garden bird feeder were doing a sort of weird, parallel movement thing yesterday morning. It was like interpretive dance, or an Esther Williams synchronized swimming routine (minus the swimming).
Perhaps it helped them stay balanced on the swinging feeder.
These are the birds that Mrs. Russia intensely dislikes because they're "too loud." She told me that's why they put out their weird beach ball thing. Well, either it doesn't work or they haven't re-hung it after our recent windstorms because the birds are back, squawking away. And of course I feed them which probably annoys her to no end.
I like to think of myself as a good neighbor, because I do stay out of other people's business -- except for complaining about them on the blog, of course. But I don't always respect their wishes. Having a bird feeder isn't a huge offense, it seems to me.
We put up a display in the library featuring all the books that have won the Booker Prize over the years -- at least the ones we have, which is most of them -- as well as several on this year's shortlist. (This is in anticipation of the prize being announced later this month.) We were missing one shortlisted book that, according to some people, is slightly favored to win -- so I bought it on my walk home from work last night. My gift to the library! It had better win, now that I've spent the money. I suppose I'll be more likely to read it, being somewhat invested.
All that weird beach ball thing MIGHT do is keep the birds away from the weird beach ball thing. I love that you feed the birds especially the loud, beautiful, cheerful parakeets. That's kind of you to donate the book to the library.
ReplyDeleteThe second photo of the parakeets makes me smile.
I've never been really bothered by birds except for one time in the Philippines when it seemed like a million roosters were all trying to crow at the same time as my jet lagged body was trying to un-jetlag itself. It must have fallen out of fashion though because my last several trips there haven't been nearly as bad as that first trip. That or I just got used to the racket.
ReplyDeleteWe have neighbours who were feeding birds. They did stop when they realised the birds started hanging around with expectations. They also have a dog which I guess they feed on the balcony and we are plagued with the aggressive against other birds, Indian Mynahs, that were crapping on our balcony, other balconies and down window ledges. I scare them away from our balcony when I see them and the crapping on our balcony has stopped.
ReplyDeleteIf Mother Russia is suffering from this, I am on her side.
If given the opportunity to decide, I would certainly choose noisy, messy gorgeous birds over, Ms. Russia. Well done, good neighbor.
ReplyDeleteA book receipt and a quiet word in your new boss's ear and you will be immediately reimbursed for your generous purchase. Is it Tan Twan Eng's "The House of Doors"? "It is a masterful novel of public morality and private truth a century ago. Based on real events it is a drama of love and betrayal under the shadow of Empire."
ReplyDeleteIf Mrs Russia is complaining I can send her a flock of cockatoos.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely to have Parakeets at the feeder. I was interested to read your school library had worked at having all the Booker books as part of its collection -the one you purchased looks good- a very impressive school library. Good for you for buying the missing one. I had not known there was an International Booker book prize also.Jean in Winnipeg.
ReplyDeleteI would definitely encourage the birds now that I know Mrs. Russia doesn't like them. I have no doubt you are a good neighbor, though.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
I always love seeing the dance that birds (and squirrels) do on our feeders - it's quite entertaining. And these birds are so much more colorful than the ones we get around here.
ReplyDeleteAre you going to start a Booker reading project? I feel like that might be depressing because it seems like so many critically acclaimed books are heavy. But I haven't even looked at the list, so what do I know?
Oh my god. What sort of soul do you have to have to hate such beautiful birds, even if they are screechy and poop?
ReplyDeleteThose are lovely photos and I love the image of them doing a sort of ballet to balance out the feeder. Birds are smart as hell.
Outstanding photos.
ReplyDeleteMrs Russia is a bit of a small soul, to want to scare away birds. Well as long as she doesn't start using explosives.
ReplyDeleteNice shot of the birds. I've been away from the farm for 67 years. I still remember the roosters crowing every morning.
ReplyDeletethose birds look more like small parrots that parakeets. they are pretty though.
ReplyDeletePut up a "No parakeets" notice.
ReplyDeleteHow often do you see the Russians outside to be annoyed by the noise?
ReplyDeleteHow often have their noisy renovations annoyed you?
Is there anything in your lease to preclude the birdfeeder?
We all need a safe place to vent, so say what you want about the russians here. It's not like we're going to tell them. And keep feeding those birds!
ReplyDeleteI just tagged The Sea by John Banville for my library wishlist. I believe it won the Booker Prize.
I love that you feed the birds and I love the parakeets. I would enjoy hearing them chatter away.
ReplyDeleteI'm all about feeding the birds. I love having them visit our yard.
ReplyDeleteDon't let the Russians grind you down, to paraphrase a faux-Latin saying :D
ReplyDeleteI don't mind the screeching of parakeets at all; I had a budgie (same thing) as a pet when I was young. I hate to think of it now, poor fellow, being caged so much, but then it was widely accepted. He was a sweet little guy who had a little hanging bell beside his perch; he used to ring it, shake it, chatter at it, and then sit with it on his head while he rested. That's an awesome picture of the two mirroring each other on the feeder!
I read Amazon's brief synopsis of "The Bee Sting". Don't think I'd like the book.
ReplyDeleteRingnecks are one of my favorite birds. Their markings are gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI'm not bothered by most birds but we have mourning doves here and their constant c-c-coo c-c-coo drives me batty! The upstairs neighbour feeds them and while she was away recently I enjoyed the peace and quiet for five months. She's back now and so are the doves.
ReplyDeleteMitchell: Yeah, I don't think it keeps anything away. Birds are smart and they know when an object is a threat and when it's not.
ReplyDeleteEd: Roosters ARE a challenge, for sure. Especially in multitudes!
Andrew: I don't think she's facing anything as troublesome as that. The parakeets never go on her terrace. They just sit in our walnut tree and squawk, and she doesn't like the noise. Sometimes pigeons perch on her balcony railing, though, and she hates that too.
Linda Sue: The birds win in my mind, for sure!
YP: Nah, it's a gift. No reimbursement necessary.
Caro: Yes please! (Mostly because I'd love to have some cockatoos hanging around!)
Jean: Well, we don't have ALL of them. But we have most. We don't have the earliest ones, from 1969-77, and we're missing some in the '80s.
Janie: Ha! I don't mean to be blindly antagonistic. I do really like them myself.
Bug: A Booker reading project would be, as you said, quite a somber undertaking! I've read quite a few of them already, but weirdly, I haven't read any of the most recent winners, from the past five years or so.
Ms Moon: I just don't understand objecting to bird noise. Listening to even the squawkiest of birds is a joy to me.
Colette: Thank you!
Boud: Ha! I think that might trigger a visit from the authorities.
Red: I suppose once you live with it as a young person it never leaves your memory!
Ellen: Well, they're called rose-ringed parakeets, but I suppose they are parrots. I don't really know the difference, to be honest, except that parrots are bigger.
Tasker: I think they'll be even less wary of that than the weird beach-ball thing!
Debby: 1) Not often. 2) Often! 3) Not that I know of, though there's probably some more general clause about not being a nuisance to the neighbors.
Kelly: I read "The Sea" several years ago and I don't remember a thing about it. I DID like "The Sea, the Sea" by Iris Murdoch, though -- also a Booker winner!
Sharon: Yeah, I enjoy their boisterousness!
Bob: It's always fun to look out and see what's on the feeder.
Jenny-O: Don't people still keep budgies in cages? I had friends who kept them when I was a kid, too.
Catalyst: To each his own, as they say!
Allison: I like them a lot too, though they ARE considered invasive here.
River: We had mourning doves in Florida so I know that sound well! Here the pigeons make cooing noises but they're less melodic.
Mrs. Russia lives in the wrong place! Birds are wonderful. We never see parakeets here apart from those in the cages. They're lovely.
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