Please Help Bring John Lennon's Music Back to Strawberry Fields!

Last week, I told you about the anti-music crackdown in Central Park that's banished music from Strawberry Fields. The good news is that YOU CAN HELP bring back John Lennon's music by signing an online petition. The goal is to get 5,000 signatures that we can send to the Mayor, the Central Park Conservancy, and the NYC Dep't of Parks and Recreation.

Thank you!
Steve Baldwin

Next Brooklyn Wild Parrot Safari: Saturday, July 11, 2009

How did they get here? It's a long story!

Attention all Urban Parrot fans: the next Wild Brooklyn Parrot Safari will happen on Saturday, July 11, 2009, at 11 AM. Please gather at Brooklyn College's Hillel Gate, which is at the intersection of Hillel Place and Campus Road. Our tour runs in two sections. You can attend either or both sections.

Please e-mail me if you want to attend. Note: there is no rain date for this trip. I ordinarily do not cancel the tour unless the forecast is for sustained rain/snow in which birds will not fly.

Wild Parrot Safari -- First Section (Brooklyn College): 11:00 AM to 12:30PM
At 11 AM, we'll inspect the Brooklyn Parrots' "Ellis Island." Their large nests around the soccer field represents the first major colony in Brooklyn. The site is easy to get to via public transportation. Just take the Number 2 train (Seventh Avenue IRT) to the end of the line, walk one block Southwest on Hillel Street past the new Starbucks, and look for the main Brooklyn College date. The tour begins at the entrance at 11:00 AM sharp. Allow some extra time, given that the MTA is doing lots of construction/train re-routing on weekends. Driving instructions are available at Brooklyn College's main Web site. Parking is fairly easy to come by in the neighborhood. If you're late, just call me: I'll give you directions so that you can meet up with us if the tour is already in progress.

Wild Parrot Safari -- Second Section (Green-Wood Cemetery): 1:30PM-3PM.
About 12:30 PM, our group will walk to the Q Train (BMT) station at Avenue H and journey to Green-Wood Cemetery, where we will observe the late-afternoon antics of the parrots residing there. If you just want to see the Green-Wood parrots, show up at 1:30 PM and we'll be there. To get to Green-Wood, take the R Train to 25th Street and walk one block East to 25th and 5th Avenue.

What to Bring/What to Wear
Please bring a photo ID (this is required by Brooklyn College Security). Bring binoculars and a camera. We'll be exposed to outdoors so bring a hat/sunscreen if you have sensitive skin. Please feel free to wear anything except bright orange. For reasons that science has not yet explained, Monk Parrots freak out when you show them something orange.

This Tour is Free, But the Parrots Are Hungry!
The Wild Parrot Safari is free - if you wish to help your hungry urban feathered friends, bring some good bird feed and other treats. Finch food or millet are always welcomed by our hungry urban "peeps."

See you in wild, exotic Brooklyn!

Steve Baldwin, Webmaster, BrooklynParrots.com
steve@brooklynparrots.com

Non-Parrot News: Beatles Music Banned From Strawberry Fields

Beatles Sing-a-Long in Strawberry Fields, May 2009, Before Anti-Music Crackdown

UPDATE 7/2/09: There's now an online petition that you can sign to bring John Lennon's music back to Strawberry Fields. Please sign it -- it only takes a minute.

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Musicians strumming and singing classic Beatles songs from the 1960s are no longer welcome in Central Park's Strawberry Fields.

Yesterday, on Sunday, June 28th, at approximately 4:00 PM, I personally witnessed the issuance of two expensive summons to several these musicians by undercover police.

This action stopped the music -- most likely forever -- in Strawberry Fields.

The fines ($50.00 and $200.00) were for violations of the Park's "Quiet Zone" policy. Given that none of the musicians who play in Strawberry Fields are wealthy, these fines were crushing. But they did succeed in "getting the message out" that the only proper and legal way to celebrate John Lennon's life and work is through passive silence, not sympathetic musical participation.

Lennon opposed such passive silence in his lifetime, and I'm sure that he'd have been appalled by the idea that Fear, Paranoia, and Silence, not Joy, Peace, and Harmony, would now rule the atmosphere of the place whose central feature is the mosaic bearing the name of Imagine, his most iconic song.

While "pro-silence" forces have successfully silenced Beatles music in Strawberry Fields (even though it was never loud or noisome, relying on acoustic instruments and harmonic singing), they have been unable, at least so far, to completely stamp out free, live Beatles music in New York City. Fortunately, the New York City subway system (which has no "Quiet Zones") continues to host free Beatles music concerts performed by a band called The Meetles that I've mentioned on this site.

It's a real shame that the classic music of Lennon and McCartney has been forced underground, but unless the Blue Meanies that run Central Park reconsider their policy, you'll never hear "Strawberry Fields" performed in Strawberry Fields again, the only way to hear Penny Lane will be to Take The A Train, and the only thing that musicians can reasonably Imagine is ruinous fines, the confiscation of their instruments, and the Sound of Silence.

Steve Baldwin

Remember The Fallen

Wild Quaker Parrot rises above markers for American Civil War Dead, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, May 25, 2008, by Steve Baldwin

Update: NY City Council Resolution to Protect Wild Quaker Parrots

Today I received the following message from Barry Schwartz, who's been spearheading the effort to protect Wild Quaker Parrots in New York City:

"We are still trying to get the City resolution on to the Env. Prot. Committee's calendar. It's a tough process. If you have not done so already, please write a letter of support to Councilmember Gennaro below. Please pass this along to everyone you know....one does not necessarily have to be an NYC resident to express support.

Marty Markowitz, the Brooklyn Borough President, an ardent parrot lover, wrote a terrific letter of support to NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn."

NYC COUNCIL
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION COMMITTEE
Committee Chairperson
James F. Gennaro

District Office Address
185-10 Union Turnpike, Fresh Meadows, Fresh Meadows, New York, 11366
Phone: (718) 217-4969
Fax Phone No.: (718) 217-4968

Legislative Office Address
250 Broadway, 17th Floor, 10007
Phone: (212) 788-6956

Committee Members
Chairperson: James F. Gennaro
Bill de Blasio
Elizabeth Crowley
Mathieu Eugene
Domenic M. Recchia, Jr.
Erik Ulrich
Peter F. Vallone, Jr.
Thomas White, Jr.

Off-Topic: Meet The Meetles!

While the subject matter of BrooklynParrots.com is "All Wild Parrots, All The Time," I want to bring your attention to a great little Beatles Tribute band called "The Meetles," which plays in the NY Subway System and also in Central Park's Strawberry Fields. I caught up with the Meetles last Sunday and got some photos of the group. The Meetles are all very nice people and they do an incredible job of keeping The Beatles' timeless music alive in New York. All photos by Stephen Carl Baldwin.

In Memory of Cliff Patterson, of the Quaker Parakeet Society

Cliff Patterson, with Cookie, his beloved Quaker Parrot, in 2006.

Cliff Patterson was a wonderful, caring human being whose wisdom and humor informed many discussions on the Quaker Parakeet Society electronic mailing list. Sadly, Cliff passed on last Friday at the comparatively young age of 65. I always welcomed reading Cliff's posts, which were reliably wry, witty and warm. I am grateful to Cliff for being very supportive of my efforts to get the word out about the wild Quaker Parrots of Brooklyn and beyond.

Cliff will be dearly missed by many, and The Quaker Parakeet Society will doubtless do much to commemorate the life of this remarkable man. In the meantime, here's a photo of Cliff with Cookie, his beloved Quaker Parrot, which I took at the Gateway Parrot Hookbill Festival in St. Louis in 2006.

CBS News With Katie Couric Reports on the Parrots and People Paradox

Kudos to CBS News, which tonight aired a segment on the plight of parrots bought impulsively by people unprepared to properly care for them. Parrots are bright, social, flock-oriented creatures that are often confined to tiny cages without emotional support. While it's true that the free-range Quaker Parrots we find in Brooklyn wouldn't be here without the pet trade, the unrestricted activities of this trade are one of the greatest dangers to parrots, which remain the world's most endangered bird group. I was proud to contribute a few video clips of wild Quaker Parrots to CBS to help this story be told.

BREAKING NEWS: Wild Conures Spotted in Kew Gardens, Queens

The Wild Conures of Queens are the rarest of New York's flocks of wild parrots. Photo by Ralph Bancer.

The world has long known of the flocks of wild conures living in San Francisco, thanks to Judy Irving's film classic, The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. But the existence of wild conures of Queens, New York remains cloaked in mystery. These rare parrots -- originally native to South America -- keep to themselves for most of the year, and no one knows where they nest or raise their young. Only in late April and early May do they announce themselves, flying to and fro from the many blossoming trees in Queens.

Unlike monk parakeets (AKA Quaker Parrots), which build insulated nests on man-made infrastructure to keep them warm, conures only nest in tree hollows, which are much rarer in urban environments. How these parrots endure New York's harsh winters is unknown, as is the explanation for when, how, and why they arrived in Queens.

These photos, taken by Ralph Bancer, capture these rare birds in action. Savor these images, for by June these parrots will have returned o their chosen obscurity, deep in the heart of Queens' urban jungle, with the secrets of their season-defying survival concealed from the mind of man.


This conure looks pretty good, considering that he or she has just endured a cruel New York winter. Photo by Ralph Bancer.


We don't have a clue as to how these conures manage to survive New York's mean streets, but we wish them well. Photo by Ralph Bancer.

Quaker Parrots Can Dance Too!

The BBC and NPR both came out with stories today on a remarkable new finding by scientists: parrots are the best dancing animals in the world! 14 different kinds of parrots can keep a near-perfect beat, and the supreme avian dance master is definitely Snowball: an incredible high-stepping cockatoo with a taste for the Backstreet Boys.

Here's Snowball in action:


While Snowball is definitely the Ginger Rogers of dancing parrots, let it not be said that Quaker Parrots - the same species that lives wild in Brooklyn - can't dance too, as proven by Ellen Krueger, of the Quaker Parakeet Society. Fonzie, Ellen's multi-talented Quaker, clearly enjoys doing the boogie as much as Snowball does!


For more parrot dancing fun, check out Frostie the parrot dancing to Ray Charles' "Shake Your Tail Feather."

Willie the Hero Quaker Parrot Interviewed on Fox News

Willie the Hero Quaker Parrot, who saved a little girl's life back in November 2008, was interviewed on Fox News last week. Willie doesn't say much in this interview, but he really doesn't have to: actions always speak louder than words, even from a talkative Quaker Parrot. We're lucky to have Willie's kind flying free in New York City!

BREAKING NEWS: Wild Quaker Parrots Appear in Amityville, Long Island

Amityville's wild parrots' nesting site appears to be within an old communications tower. Photo by Dr. Jud Newborn.

Amityville, Long Island, might appear to be an unlikely place to find wild parrots, but it appears that several birds have set up shop in a beach-side communications tower. These parrots are definitely Quakers, and quite possibly are distantly related to the flock that escaped from JFK airport nearly 40 years ago. Previous sightings of similar parrots on Long Island include reports from Lynbrook, Oceanside, and now, Amityville.

Thanks to Dr. Jud Newborn, who served as Founding Historian and Curator of the Museum of Jewish Heritage (1986-2000) and is now an independent author and lecturer. Jud took the photos you see in this story and we are grateful for his permission to reproduce them on BrooklynParrots.com


A pair of wild Long Island parrots perch on a guy wire adjacent to their well-crafted condo nest. Photo by Dr. Jud Newborn.


A suburban parrot peers out of a nest carefully crafted out of twigs. Photo by Dr. Jud Newborn.

Photo-Essay: Green-Wood Parrots Begin Massive Reconstruction Project

Last week, only a few twigs had been placed by the parrots in the recently de-nested southern spire of Green-Wood Cemetery's historic entrance gate, but work continues at a frenetic pace.

Brooklyn's Master Architects of the Bird World, the wild Quaker Parrots (AKA Monk Parakeets) of Green-Wood Cemetery, appear to have taken the recent removal of their massive multifamily condominium-style nest structure in stride and are now actively rebuilding. Such removals happen every 10 years at Green-Wood Cemetery, where the parrots have lived since the early 1960s, when the historic gate structures need to be inspected and/or repaired.

On Saturday, April 18, I inspected the parrots' efforts to rebuild their housing on Green-Wood Cemetery's main gate. The parrots appear to be working South to North, with significant progress shown on a nest on the southernmost spire. Here are some photos illustrating the parrots' progress. All photos by yours truly, Steve Baldwin; just click on any photo for an expanded view.


The parrots have been busy all week, and a small nest is beginning to take shape (just to the left in this photo).


Already, this nest consists of hundreds of twigs carefully placed into position by the parrots. These will be systematically clipped and shaped until a proper entrance portal can be fashioned.


Doing this takes hundreds of parrot-hours of heavy air-lifting.


Fortunately, there's plenty of tasty grass for these grass-eaters to consume within just a few feet of the construction site.



There's plenty of action at the central spire, formerly the site of the biggest parrot nest in Brooklyn.


These parrots appear to be part of a surveying team examining the functional specifications for an adequate nest sub-structure at Green-Wood's main gate.


A parrot arrives at the main gate with a tremendous twig that will likely be laid in as part of the new nest's foundational substructure.


These parrots appear to be enjoying the fact that at least part of their lost nest is now in place again.


If all goes well, the angels of Green-Wood Cemetery will soon greet a fully-functioning condomium-style Monk Parakeet nest before Spring turns to Summer.

BREAKING NEWS: Wild Parrot Nest Removals at Green-Wood Cemetery

One of two artificial nest platforms erected at Green-Wood Cemetery for use by Monk Parakeets during renovation of main gate structure.

Last week, a long-planned project to inspect and renovate the main gate at Green-Wood Cemetery began. Part of the work requires the partial or complete removal of the massive colonial nests built by the Monk Parakeets (AKA Quaker Parrots) who have lived there for years. Fortunately, the project engineers consulted with various Quaker Parrot experts, who advised them to do their work before the Quakers' breeding season began. Failing to do this can result in the inhumane situation of removing young birds from their parents' care when they most need it, plus the need to take care of these young parrots, whose lifespans can exceed 30 years. This happened at Throgs Neck in 2007, and may happen within weeks in Bay Ridge unless the project managers can somehow be persuaded to delay their planned work (which will happen in June) to a time after the parrots finish breeding.

It is always painful to watch such nest removals and their aftermath. Several attendees of the April 2009 Wild Brooklyn Parrot Safari grimaced while watching the birds frantically rebuild their nests while knowing their efforts were in vain. At the same time, it is actually good that these removals happened when they did. Although the parrots' breeding season was interrupted, they'll likely simply delay having young until they can rebuild their nests.

Additionally, it was truly inspiring to see the efforts of Green-Wood Cemetery's management to minimize the suffering of the parrots. Two large steel artificial nest platforms were deployed to provide temporary shelter for the parrots during the renovation project. Using best practices for wild parrot nest removals proves that Green-Wood Cemetery truly values its wild parrots, and wants them to be there for future generations to enjoy.



You can clearly see the area cleared by the renovation workers at the center of the photo (below the perching parrots). First an inspection will take place to assess any damage to the stone (there doesn't look like any in this photo), followed by necessary renovation work.


Two steel artificial nest platform towers on each side of the main gate have been constructed to provide temporary housing for the parrots while work on the main gate proceeds.


Sticks were placed in the North nest platform to coax the parrots into visiting them and using them for temporary housing. Several parrots were observed "checking out" the platforms on Saturday, April 4, 2009.


The platform design uses gridwork to provide an anchor for Monk Parakeet stick nests. There are no twigs placed on the South platform: it will be interesting to see whether the Monks build on it, or whether they just use it for perching (as might other interesting avians).



While the nest removals represent a hardship for Green-Wood's wild parrots, extraordinary care was taken to minimize the suffering. Hopefully, within a month or so, life will return to normal at Green-Wood's historic main gate, where the parrots have roosted for many years.

Dallas Parrot Nest Removals Appear to Be Humane

DFW News, an NBC affiliate, reports that the Oncor utility company recently removed nesting Quaker Parrots from several of its power lines in Dallas, Texas. Special care seems to have been taken to spare the birds from harm; eggs removed will be hatched at a wildlife Center, with hatchlings eventually scheduled for re-release.

Wild Parrot News From Beyond Brooklyn: Tribute for ELO Bassist Kelly Groucutt To Benefit Wild Parrots

Parrots and great Rock & Roll go together. Ringo Starr famously posed with one (and nearly sent a dart through an African Grey in the classic Beatles flick Hard Days Night), Stevie Nicks posed with a Cockatoo on a Fleetwood Mac album, and without Jimi Hendrix, England might not have any wild parrots at all!

So it's more than fitting that a tribute to Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) bassist Kelly Groucutt will benefit The National Parrot Sanctuary Trust.

When a beloved pet parrot dies, it's customary to speak of the bird as "crossing the rainbow bridge." When a good-hearted man like Kelly crosses that same bridge, his kindness can make ripples in the air that rock on forever.

Monk Parakeets vs. United Illuminating Co. Redux

The New York Times reports on the annual battle between Connecticut's United Illuminating Power Company and the wild Monk Parakeets (AKA Quaker Parrots) of the Nutmeg State. Fortunately, UI is conducting itself humanely this year in a 180 degree turn against its lethal parrot control methods of 2005.

BREAKING NEWS: Pro-Parrot Resolution Introduced In New York City Council

I'm very glad to announce that the long-awaited measure to protect New York City's wild Quaker Parrots was introduced this past Tuesday. Here's a communication from Barry A. Schwartz, who spearheaded the effort:

Yesterday was an "historic" day for what will hopefully be the protection of wild Quaker parrots in New York City, and, eventually, in New York State.

For the past year, I have been working with NYC Council Member Tony Avella (Queens) in sheparding a proposed resolution calling for the protection of wild Quakers in New York City, and calling upon the NY State Legislature to change the State Environmental Conservation Law adding wild Quakers to the list of "protected birds."

At the Stated Council Meeting of Tuesday, March 24, 2009, this proposal became reality when Council Member Avella introduced the proposed resolution, Resolution No. 1872-2009, to the Council. The resolution was immediately referred to the Council Committee on Environmental Protection, where, it will be discussed, and then probably open to public commnet.

When that happens, testimony may be called for, and I ask that those of you especially most expert with wild Quakers, stand ready and volunteer some time for testimony.

Let NYC join eventually the City of San Francisco in officially recognizing and protecting it's wild parrot colonies.

In the meanwhile, I ask that you help with this process, no matter where you live. Write a letter of suppport addressed to Council Member Tony Avella (250 Broadway, 17th Fl., New York, NY 1007). Send the letter to me, and I will see to it that it arrives at this office in batch. Also, the same letter may be addressed to Council Member James F. Gennaro, who is the Chair of the Environmnetal Protection Committee (250 Broadway, 17th Fl., New York, NY 10007).

Barry A. Schwartz
Feathered Friends Parrot Adoption Services, Inc.
(formerly Maspeth Bird Haven, Inc.)
P.O. Box 780344, Maspeth, NY 11378, Maspeth, NY

The full text of Resolution 1872 is available here.

Willie The Hero Quaker Parrot Gets Award From Red Cross

Remember Willie The Hero Quaker Parrot? This noble little bird, who lives in Colorado (ironically a state in which Quakers are illegal) has formally received the Animal Lifesaver Award from the Red Cross for his role in saving a little girl several months ago. Even the governor was there. Bravo, Willie: you have the heart of an eagle!

Brooklyn Parrots on the Science Channel!

Nice article (including video clips) from the Science Channel's Nerd About New York section about Brooklyn's endearingly raucous wild Monk Parakeets (AKA Quaker Parrots). Thanks to Noah Sussman and Joanna Burgess for producing this piece. Go Quakers, Go!