13 March 2005
Wild Parrots
Last weekend, my parents and I saw the documentary film The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill and subsequently tried and failed to find the flock on and around Telegraph Hill. They do, after all, have the power of flight, so they roam around a fair bit. In general, I'm not optimistic about being able to locate specific creatures at specific locations in space/time.
Today I set out on my bicycle, first hitting the St Patrick's Day parade and enjoying those festivities. I was reminded that kilts are not just for Scots; the Irish wear them too. Hooray for boys in skirts!
Then I rode to the bottom of the Greenwich steps, locked up my bike, and began to climb toward Coit Tower, an invigorating and scenic urban hike. I had only climbed about 1/3 of the way up when I found the parrots! They were all settled into one tree close to the steps, murmuring gently. As I continued to climb, they began circulating among the nearby trees, chattering.
Sooner than I expected, I popped up in the Coit Tower parking lot, where I could still hear the birds below. On a lark, I bought a ticket and went to the top of the tower, something I haven't done in many years. The weather was spectacular and the bay was sparkling and studded with lots of little sailboats. I'm pretty sure I was the only local there; everyone else was trying to guess what the various visible features were.
When I descended the Greenwich steps again, the parrots had all invaded a large cypress tree and were now raising a huge ruckus that had attracted a small crowd. Now they were jostling, nuzzling, bickering, swinging upside down, squawking, fluttering all over the tree, and generally monkeying around.
So there! Finally I've seen the locally-famous flock of wild parrots in person. They're now mildly famous nation-wide as well, thanks to the movie.