I can hear them, but all I can see are small leaves raining down where they should be perched up in the trees.
But the fully leafed out trees make it difficult to see this chameleon-like bird.
I'm talking about the flock of green parakeets that call
Istanbul home.
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| Bottom right corner, you can see the green parakeet up in the tree. |
This week, I've been walking my friend's dog every morning through
Emirgan Korusu (Emirgan Park). And every morning, I've been able to catch a glimpse of these green parakeets.
When I do see them, I also feel like I'm in that old M&M Christmas commercial, where Santa Claus runs into the walking pair of M&M's and says "They do exist."
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| Here, you can see an outline of the parakeet in the middle of the photo. |
Earlier this year in my
8 hours in Istanbul post, I mentioned I've only seen these elusive green parakeets one other time near the
Topkapı Sarayı (Topkapi Palace).
The story goes, according to several long-time expats, that the green parakeets were on a cargo ship in the Bosphorus several years ago. The birds escaped, adapted to the climate and now there are a couple hundred living here.
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| Well, I was kind of able to capture one of the parakeets in flight. They are fast! |
I've never seen them near Beşiktaş where we live, probably because its a densely populated area with few green spaces.
However, this week, I've been enjoying watching these green parakeets flit about in the trees and hearing them call to each other. I tried to capture a few photos during my walks in Emirgan, but you really need a telephoto lens for best results.
Have you seen these green parakeets in Istanbul or perhaps elsewhere in Turkey?
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| As I was leaving Emirgan Park this morning, I noticed these wild raspberry bushes and treated myself to a ripened berry. |
