This morning I spotted some cheeky parakeets from my back window. They were happily chattering away and preening themselves, seemingly without a care in the world. It was a lovely sight, which makes me all the more sad to hear that the government is considering culling these birds.
It appears that in the last decade parakeets have spread out from London and are becoming an ever-growing threat to native wildlife – the grey squirrel of the skies, so to speak.
The good news is that Jimi Hendrix has finally been cleared of blame for introducing them to London in the first place, when he released a pair in Carnaby Street back in the sixties. It turns out that they have been spotted in London skies as far back as the 1800s. It’s nice idea though, that his presence lives on through more ways than his music – and somewhat apt, as they have a flamboyant appearance and like to make a lot of noise.
This image forms part of my Daily Print series, and is available to buy here