Apple-picking Parakeets

The fruit on our Siberian Crab Apple tree is nearing the end of the crop, but our local parakeets were making the most of it today. We counted ten of them in the tree early this morning, and they came and went over several hours, dining on the tiny hard fruits.

They are very messy feeders, dropping as much onto the ground below the trees as disappears into their beaks. They're noisy too, constantly squawking and generally drawing attention to themselves. They're a wonderful splash of tropical exotica in outer London suburbia.