Landscapes Of The Mind
  • Home
  • Musings & Reflections
  • Glimpses Through The Lens
    • The Feathered Beauties
    • I Saw,I Clicked... >
      • Vishnupur
      • The Tantalizing Landscape Of Uttaranchal
      • Amidst The Sand Dunes Of Khuri
      • Chatris Of Shekawati
      • Havelis Of Shekawat
    • I Saw, I Clicked Part II >
      • Hosaholalu
      • Pristine Havelock
      • Pichavaram
      • Chidambaram
    • I Saw I Clicked Part III >
      • Yosemite
      • A Day At The Vatican Museum
      • Norcia
      • Moscow
    • Butterflies & Flowers
    • Close Encounters At Corbett
    • Bijapur & Beyond
    • Enchanting Athirapalli
    • Splendours of Seatlle
    • Monet's Garden
  • Glimpses Through The Lens: II
    • Poetry in stone >
      • Brihadeeswarar Koil
      • Gangaikondacholapuram
      • Dharasuram
      • Thanjavur Art Gallery
    • In The Land Of Enlightenment
    • Charming Chitrapu
    • Exploring Orissa >
      • Mesmerizing Mangalajodi
      • Bewitching Bhetnoi
      • Daksa Prajapati Temple
    • Birding Down Under >
      • Parrots Galore!
      • Lyrical Lyre Bird
      • Honey Eaters
      • Kingfishers, Wrens, Wagtails, Warblers...
      • Orioles, Golden Whistlers
      • Cockatoos, Kookaburras & Magpies
      • Pigeons, Doves
      • Birds Of Prey, Bower Birds
      • Water Birds & In Flight
      • Others
    • Murals of Pundarikapuram
  • Contact Me

The Lure Of The Parrots...

5/30/2022

16 Comments

 
Picture
One of the birds that kept me company in San Francsico was the red masked parakeet, also called Cherry Headed Conure. A flock of them would descend noisily on the tree opposite our son’s apartment near Lombard Street. It was a startling sight to see their colours in the morning sun.

These birds are native to Ecuador and Peru, but showed up in San Francisco's Telegraph Hill neighbourhood in the 1980s. From a population of only four birds, they began to settle and breed in the city in large numbers.

They also attracted the attention of Mark Bittner an unemployed musician who was eking out his living as a caretaker in one of the Telegraph Hill’s historic, crumbling cottages. He was smitten with these colourful, noisy birds and started observing them closely. He published a book about these parrots in 2004 and in 2005 a film was made based on it, which catapulted Bittner and the parrots into popularity and the public eye.

As people became more aware of these parrots, it also created some controversy. Since they were non-native species which can potentially threaten the native birds, conservationists argued that the flock should be removed. But people of San Francisco fought to keep the parrots intact, arguing that they were an important part of the city's culture and history. Ultimately, they prevailed, and the wild parrots of Telegraph Hill can be seen both in their home territory and all over the city as they scurry around for food. 

Parrots figure prominently in Sangam literature. They are vividly described in many poems. One of them even mentions about a parrot with red neck band! They reside in Kurinji thinai, (mountain and adjoining lands) where they come in droves to eat clusters of millet in the fields. The heroine and her friend who are sent by the family, chase the birds, using the rattles and other noisy implements.  The parrots also provide an excuse for the heroine to meet the hero secretly, without the knowledge of the family.  

For instance, in Ainkurunuru (meaning five hundred short poems) which are generally dated from about the late 2nd-to-3rd-century-CE, Kapilar, the poet describes the how the parrots have given an opportunity for the man to meet the lover of his life.

வெள்ள வரம்பின் ஊழி போகியும்
கிள்ளை வாழிய பலவே, ஒள் இழை
இரும்பல் கூந்தல் கொடிச்சி
பெருந்தோள் காவல் காட்டியவ்வே.


Translated as:
May the parrots live longer even after trillions and trillions of eons! 

They are the reason that the lady from the mountains with long black hair and big shoulders, wearing glistening jewels came to watch over the grains.

On the World Parrot Day let us hope that these colourful avian species live long and bing cheer int our lives! 

The parrots would like to hear from you...here!
16 Comments
narayan t v
5/30/2022 08:39:33 pm

Beautiful, Doc, both the image and the narrative.

Reply
Dr Raguram
5/30/2022 08:59:18 pm

Thank you Narayan

Reply
Lalitha Anand
5/30/2022 09:02:55 pm

Another gem of an article .. as colorful and unique as the parrots!

Reply
Dr Raguram
5/30/2022 10:17:52 pm

Thanks Lalitha

Reply
Lalitha
5/30/2022 09:03:02 pm

I enjoyed more the parrots 🦜 in Sangam litreture than in Sanfrancisco lovely narrative ❤️

Reply
Dr Raguram
5/30/2022 10:18:23 pm

Glad that you enjoyed!

Reply
Arun Kishore
5/30/2022 09:11:53 pm

Beautiful narration. The "immigrants" were well supported by the natives , immigrants themselves.

Reply
Dr Raguram
5/30/2022 10:18:58 pm

Thanks Arun. Lessons for us in these times?

Reply
Vidya
5/30/2022 10:19:51 pm

Lovely!

Reply
Dr Raguram
5/30/2022 10:31:15 pm

Thank you!

Reply
Sunil Patil
5/30/2022 10:45:52 pm

Beautiful 🤩

Reply
Dr Raguram
5/30/2022 10:53:13 pm

Thanks Sunil!

Reply
TG
5/31/2022 02:51:32 am

Interesting observations! Thanks!!!

Reply
Rajan Iyyalol
5/31/2022 08:55:31 am

Another wonderful read -as always about the pretty feathered friends, with facts, anecdotes and literary references💝
Our backyard in the Mount Pleasant suburb of Perth also is flocked by Rainbow loikeets regularly. We have a crab apple tree and they feast on the abundant berries grown on it through out mid summer to late autumn.Australian rainbow lorikeets are much more colorful. During nesting season they are very aggressive and territorial chasing away all other birds, depriving them of nesting sites.
Australian Department of Agriculture and Food has notified Rainbow Lorikeets as 'declared pest' in southern parts of Western Australia. Though they are very pretty and colourful members of the avian community, hard core conservationists keep a lot of antipathy towards them.

Reply
Madhu
6/1/2022 09:29:37 am

Superb photo and lovely narration. As always enjoyed reading it.

Reply
Gautam Moorthy
6/2/2022 03:38:11 am

An excellent juxtaposition as this narrative on the parrot moves seamlessly from San Francisco of today to Tamil Nadu eons ago. Thank you, Ragu. Enjoyed reading this.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Dr Raguram

    Someone who keeps exploring beyond the boundaries of everyday life to savor and share those unforgettable moments....

    Archives

    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    October 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    September 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    October 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    May 2012
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Musings & Reflections
  • Glimpses Through The Lens
    • The Feathered Beauties
    • I Saw,I Clicked... >
      • Vishnupur
      • The Tantalizing Landscape Of Uttaranchal
      • Amidst The Sand Dunes Of Khuri
      • Chatris Of Shekawati
      • Havelis Of Shekawat
    • I Saw, I Clicked Part II >
      • Hosaholalu
      • Pristine Havelock
      • Pichavaram
      • Chidambaram
    • I Saw I Clicked Part III >
      • Yosemite
      • A Day At The Vatican Museum
      • Norcia
      • Moscow
    • Butterflies & Flowers
    • Close Encounters At Corbett
    • Bijapur & Beyond
    • Enchanting Athirapalli
    • Splendours of Seatlle
    • Monet's Garden
  • Glimpses Through The Lens: II
    • Poetry in stone >
      • Brihadeeswarar Koil
      • Gangaikondacholapuram
      • Dharasuram
      • Thanjavur Art Gallery
    • In The Land Of Enlightenment
    • Charming Chitrapu
    • Exploring Orissa >
      • Mesmerizing Mangalajodi
      • Bewitching Bhetnoi
      • Daksa Prajapati Temple
    • Birding Down Under >
      • Parrots Galore!
      • Lyrical Lyre Bird
      • Honey Eaters
      • Kingfishers, Wrens, Wagtails, Warblers...
      • Orioles, Golden Whistlers
      • Cockatoos, Kookaburras & Magpies
      • Pigeons, Doves
      • Birds Of Prey, Bower Birds
      • Water Birds & In Flight
      • Others
    • Murals of Pundarikapuram
  • Contact Me