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Birding in Hernando Beach, Florida: Parakeets

By Silvia Dukes PA, Broker Associate, CRS, CIPS, SRES

Real Estate Agent with Tropic Shores Realty - Ich spreche Deutsch!

August 02, 2011 01:26 PM

Birding in Hernando Beach, Florida: Parakeets

Years ago, I'm told, there used to be several hundred parakeets living wild in Hernando Beach, Florida.

Originally, they got their start from a few birds that broke out from captivity, found our mild gulf side climate in Hernando Beach quite tolerable and multiplied accordingly.

Today, only a few small flocks remain. It's therefore always a treat to seem some of the little green jewels flying through the air, chattering away, or in this case, taking a break high up on the neighbor's tree.

I wish I could have gotten a little closer - it's time for a new camera that will allow me to do just that!

It's always a special treat to point out a few of these cheerful parakeets to buyers who are looking at homes for sale in Hernando Beach. Most people only know these birds as cage birds so usually, people can't believe these birds live free and wild in our area.

If you love birds and birding as much as I do, please take a look at some of my other bird watching observations in our area:

More about Parakeets in Hernando Beach

Of Storms, Power Outage, and a Bird in the Bush

Beware of the Egret

Grey Heron at Jenkins Creek

The Robins Are Back!

Osprey - Catch of the Day!

What's for Dinner?

Aloe and the Woodpecker

Cold Weather triggers Feeding Frenzy

Out and About with the Little Ones

New Listing: Unusual Tenant included!

Look Who's crossing the Road in Hernando Beach

Birding in Hernando Beach, Florida: Parakeets

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Ted Tyrrell

RE/MAXCamosun (Chatterton) - Victoria, BC

Selling Homes in Beautiful Victoria

Silvia, it seems strange to me to see parakeets in the wild. If a parakeet escapes from its cage here, it is doubtful that it would live very long. It wouldn't know how to find food and it would be vulnerable to those that would prey on it.

Are all of your parakeets green?

Aug 02, 2011 01:46 PM

Rita Fong

RE/MAX REAL ESTATE TODAY, Executive Broker 901-488-9590 - Marion, AR

Realtor - Marion Arkansas Homes for Sale

Silvia, I am surprised to see parakeet lives in the wild, too. I like them, some of their colors are so beautiful and they look so cute.

Aug 02, 2011 02:01 PM

Myrl Jeffcoat

Sacramento, CA

Greater Sacramento Realtor - Retired

That's amazing, Silvia! For many years we had a wild Parrot population living in my area. The story was they had come from a single pair that had escaped. We had a really hard winter, which apparently wiped them all out. I haven't seen them since. I remember one particular day, the flock came into my yard. I counted 22 of them.

Aug 02, 2011 02:26 PM

Kathy Streib

Cypress, TX

Home Stager/Redesign

Silvia- I love the parakeets. On occasion, we've seen some of the parrots down here.

Aug 02, 2011 04:01 PM

William Johnson

Retired - La Jolla, CA

Retired

Hi Silvia, I have to admit this is way cool. Love it and wouldn't it be fun if these few survivors would keep adding new little ones and keep these parakeets out there to visit local home and neighborhoods. A 300mm lens would do it, :-)

Aug 02, 2011 04:07 PM

Chris Alston

Chris Alston (Keller Williams Realty, Silicon Valley, California) - Campbell, CA

Silicon Valley, California

Dang, great pictures... So they are just out there in the wild huh? I wonder what the story is behind that!

Aug 02, 2011 04:56 PM

Debbie Walsh

SHAHAR Management - Middletown, NY

Hudson Valley NY Real Estate 845.283-3036

I love love birds and can't even imagine seeing birds like these on trees when you walk outside. Such pretty pictures!

Aug 03, 2011 12:45 AM

Silvia Dukes PA, Broker Associate, CRS, CIPS, SRES

Tropic Shores Realty - Ich spreche Deutsch! - Spring Hill, FL

Florida Waterfront and Country Club Living

Ted, you are right, in most climates they wouldn't survive. Green is the dominant color, every once in a while I have seen a different shade but most other colors seem to have been bred out again over time.

Rita, the newcomers to this area always think they just escaped en masse from somewhere!

Myrl, there are parrot populations south from us as well. Cold temperatures definitely affect our parakeets as well.

Aug 03, 2011 01:05 AM

Silvia Dukes PA, Broker Associate, CRS, CIPS, SRES

Tropic Shores Realty - Ich spreche Deutsch! - Spring Hill, FL

Florida Waterfront and Country Club Living

Kathy, just what I wrote to Myrl above! :-)

Bill, been looking at a new DSLR for the last couple of weeks and haven't made the final step. I almost got out my old "non-digital" one but didn't have film! ;-)

Chris, at one time a few escaped and the rest is history!

Debra, most of the time you see and hear them flying around, they really are little shatterboxes!

Aug 03, 2011 01:08 AM

Joan Cox

House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO

Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Silvia, these birds blend in with the TREE! So cute, and does sound like you are ready for a new camera with a better ZOOM!

Aug 03, 2011 03:06 AM

Silvia Dukes PA, Broker Associate, CRS, CIPS, SRES

Tropic Shores Realty - Ich spreche Deutsch! - Spring Hill, FL

Florida Waterfront and Country Club Living

Joan ,I'm the world's worst shopper... I have a hard time making up my mind and wait forever until I finally decide what to buy! ;-)

PS. Of course, that would never apply to shopping for real estate! lol

Aug 03, 2011 09:46 AM

Jeanne M. Gavish

Jeanne Gavish, Keller Williams Realty Elite Partners - Spring Hill, FL

Keller Williams Realty Elite Partners - CIPS,GRI,S

Silvia, Your pictures made my day. I used to raise parakeets (budgies) for our pet shops, and am told here on the water in Hudson that their used to be many wild flocks. The No-Name storm of 1993 ended that and they have not come back to my area. I love them and am glad to see they are thriving in your area. Where in Hernando Beach were these?

Aug 03, 2011 03:38 PM

Sidney Kutchuk - Realty Works Temecula Kutchuk - Realty Works Temecula

Realty Works Temecula - Temecula, CA

Realty Works Temecula

Silvia: They look like little decorations!!!

Aug 03, 2011 04:58 PM

Silvia Dukes PA, Broker Associate, CRS, CIPS, SRES

Tropic Shores Realty - Ich spreche Deutsch! - Spring Hill, FL

Florida Waterfront and Country Club Living

Jeanne, they were in our neighbor's tree but we see them flying around here regularly. They would come to feeders in our neighborhood every day until the lady who had them passed away. Then we didn't see them for a while, it seems they take their time to adjust to change.

Jane, you are right! :-)

Aug 04, 2011 02:32 AM

Not a real person

San Diego, CA

You don't necessarily need a new camera. Just take pictures at the highest resolution, use whatever zoom you do have, and then crop back at the office. You can get really close.

We have lots of flocks of parakeets out here, too. They like to live in all the palm trees.

Happy Thursday!