Parrots overhead

We’re getting some nice weather (70+ degrees) and warm sun and are planning to watch the Super Bowl at Turtles restaurant, using a gift certificate that some of the folks at my former place of employment (Lifespan in Rhode Island) got for us. One interesting sidelight: We read in the paper where a man named Jim Rainey, who apparently is general manager of the restaurant, was quoted as saying that “the parrots are back in town.” According to Rainey, throngs of parrots stop by every year to roost in abandoned nests in the cocoanut trees lining both sides of Turtles’ parking lot.



So, Barbara and I couldn’t resist walking up there one morning to check out the scene. The first thing we encountered was squawking sounds coming from every direction. “Those are the parrots,” said one man, who was standing by with binoculars in hand. We learned that parrots can make quite a bit of noise, almost enough to drown out the sound of traffic rolling by on Midnight Pass Road.



Meanwhile, the parrots were flying over our heads like a squad of kamikaze. I couldn’t resist taking a few photos. There was one female in particular who stood her ground outside the mouth of her nest and let me know what she thought of my photographic efforts. I retaliated by standing my own ground and shooting away. She did more squawking than me, though.