Huge flock of squawking parakeets descend on Kenley

By aedwards

It looks like a scene from Alfred Hitchcock's film, "The Birds", but in fact, this is quiet Kenley.

Around 100 bright green parakeets have flocked to Kenley Lane in their dozens, taking over residents' rooftops and making an impressively loud racket.

The exotic Indian ring-necked birds are thought to have come from nearby Kenley Common, and have been waking up the neighbours with their relentless squawking.

Student Candice Homewood, 23, said the swarm of feathery fellows, who descended last Friday, had been a bit of a shock.

"It was really crazy. I heard all this squawking outside at about 7am and looked out of my window and there were hundreds of them.

"There's a fruit tree next door and they were shredding all the flowers off it. It was like something out of the film The Birds, it was quite bizarre."

Ever since their mass appearance, Miss Homewood said the birds seem to be taking up permanent residence.

"They all keep on flying past the window, I saw one a couple of months ago, but nothing quite like this – there are loads.

"Apparently, they live for years and years, so if they're all breeding, we'll probably see a lot more and I might end up getting a few more early morning wake-up calls.

"There was one magpie trying to take them all on but he didn't have much luck, he was a bit outnumbered.

"They are really exotic looking, they really catch your eye."

Anne Sigee, a pensioner from Cumberlands, has lived in her street for 34 years and never seen so many parakeets.

She said: "They are a beautiful colour, you don't expect to see them all in your back garden.

"They are very nice, but you can really hear them."