My last post was about not having anything to write but deciding to publish a post anyway if only to give myself a chance to exercise my creative muscles and get back into the routine of writing regularly.
But as fate would have it, inspiration found me in the most unexpected of places – just outside my own backdoor.
Moments after publishing that post, I stepped outside to put some things away in my garden shed and was delighted to find myself surrounded by a small flock of wild parakeets. While it’s not uncommon to see parakeets in London, it was unusual to see so many of them in my own back garden.
Most Londoners are aware of these birds’ existence and not too awfully surprised when encountering them. London’s parakeets are believed to be escaped or released pets. Over the decades, they have established populations across the city and can be seen in a number of parks and public gardens.
I’ve seen parakeets around Walthamstow – the area of northeast London where I live – but never in my back garden and never so many so close to me anywhere in town. There were around 10-12 of them chattering away in the tree next to my deck and I was able to observe them up close without disturbing them for several minutes. I suppose this goes to show that there’s always something interesting happening around us, even in the most ordinary and everyday places.
Are you looking for similar inspiration?
For all but guaranteed interaction with parakeets, head to Kensington Gardens. The area around the Peter Pan Statue near the north entrance of the Gardens is especially good for spotting these vivid green birds. Hang out under the right tree and the parakeets are likely to flutter down and perch on your hands, arms, and head.
