I was prepared to spend the whole day if necessary to keep from repeating the negative outcome of our April try at the Budgies. The location was the same as it was then. I knew how to get there. I just felt if I was a little more persistent, things would work out. You'll see that I didn't need to worry. The motel I fell into last night was a Hampton Inn, about three cuts above my usual level of overnight accommodations. It was so nice, I just couldn't get myself away from the high thread count sheets, the thick towels, the warm breakfast. Eventually I did leave and drove to the Budgie spot arriving before 9:00am. I took a walk around the neighborhood and as soon as I turned the corner, there they were, all lined up on a telephone wire. There were eight of them in all which has to be most of what's left of this population. In a few years there won't be any and ABA will remove Budgerigar from its list just as it did the Crested Myna, the Blue-Gray Tanager, and the Black Francolin. I recall when I saw my first countable budgies. It was in the 80's. I waited several years to go see them, because you had to go to St. Petersburg and I wasn't all that hot to check off an exotic. But around that time my folks acquired a place in Sarasota where they went for the winter and my sister and I alternated visiting them at Christmas. So it became a little more reasonable thing to attempt. One year, on our way back to Norfolk, I drove somewhat out of our way to the local streets in St. Petersburg where you were supposed to find the Budgies. Before you got to the area where they were, you could hear them screeching. When you did get there, the telephone wires were loaded with them by the hundreds and hundreds. Most of them were green, but there were a few of the varietals that aviculturists created for the pet trade. It's hard to believe how quickly that scene became a thing of the past, and we're indeed reduced to a couple of handfuls. The current last stand is a location where an individual supposedly fed a large group of them up to a few years ago. A neighbor told me today that the flock was over a couple hundred birds. He wasn't sure whether the person feeding them was alive any longer, but I suspect he/she has passed away or moved. I'm happy to say that I've now added them to the year's list (#704). After taking a satisfactory photo, I got back in the car and set the gps for Ft. Lauderdale where I arrived five hours later, checked in my car two days early, changed my return airline ticket to a flight tomorrow, got a motel room, wrote this blog, and planned to watch a baseball game on TV. You're right! It won't be the Cards.
I was prepared to spend the whole day if necessary to keep from repeating the negative outcome of our April try at the Budgies. The location was the same as it was then. I knew how to get there. I just felt if I was a little more persistent, things would work out. You'll see that I didn't need to worry. The motel I fell into last night was a Hampton Inn, about three cuts above my usual level of overnight accommodations. It was so nice, I just couldn't get myself away from the high thread count sheets, the thick towels, the warm breakfast. Eventually I did leave and drove to the Budgie spot arriving before 9:00am. I took a walk around the neighborhood and as soon as I turned the corner, there they were, all lined up on a telephone wire. There were eight of them in all which has to be most of what's left of this population. In a few years there won't be any and ABA will remove Budgerigar from its list just as it did the Crested Myna, the Blue-Gray Tanager, and the Black Francolin. I recall when I saw my first countable budgies. It was in the 80's. I waited several years to go see them, because you had to go to St. Petersburg and I wasn't all that hot to check off an exotic. But around that time my folks acquired a place in Sarasota where they went for the winter and my sister and I alternated visiting them at Christmas. So it became a little more reasonable thing to attempt. One year, on our way back to Norfolk, I drove somewhat out of our way to the local streets in St. Petersburg where you were supposed to find the Budgies. Before you got to the area where they were, you could hear them screeching. When you did get there, the telephone wires were loaded with them by the hundreds and hundreds. Most of them were green, but there were a few of the varietals that aviculturists created for the pet trade. It's hard to believe how quickly that scene became a thing of the past, and we're indeed reduced to a couple of handfuls. The current last stand is a location where an individual supposedly fed a large group of them up to a few years ago. A neighbor told me today that the flock was over a couple hundred birds. He wasn't sure whether the person feeding them was alive any longer, but I suspect he/she has passed away or moved. I'm happy to say that I've now added them to the year's list (#704). After taking a satisfactory photo, I got back in the car and set the gps for Ft. Lauderdale where I arrived five hours later, checked in my car two days early, changed my return airline ticket to a flight tomorrow, got a motel room, wrote this blog, and planned to watch a baseball game on TV. You're right! It won't be the Cards.
We have budgies in NYC. I think given the level of difficulty they face living here, they should be countable.
ReplyDeleteAll that is left to follow with the St. Louis Cardinals is Pujols' batting average and whether it will stay over .300 again this year.
Maybe you can rest before the KC! Good job on the Budgies. Renee
ReplyDeleteWhoops, you already have the Lesser Sand Plover from June. NEVERMIND!
ReplyDelete