In mid-Winter, about 1987, one spent a couple of weeks in Scott Circle,
Washington DC, in between the Australian Embassy and the headquarters of the
National Rifle Association. The Sibley field guide says the species is
'locally established' (in Florida), with 'frequent escapes nationwide'.
-----Original Message-----
From: Elizabeth Compston
Sent: Saturday, 21 December 2013 10:34 AM
To: Birds Canberra
Subject: budgie
Message from and American friend who has spent time with us, in Canberra and
elsewhere, bird watching
Elizabeth Compston
> I woke up this morning with the resolution to answer your letter of 10
December before I forget to do so what with all of the impending activity of
Christmas. But it turns out that I didn't have to have that resolve because
one of the most interesting items appeared this morning at breakfast. That
item is a budgerigar which had been visiting our feeders since we returned
from Cape Cod where I spend the summer at the GFD program. It must have
escaped from a cage in someone's house. We were impressed by that little
bird because it competed pretty effectively with some very aggressive
sparrows and some bigger birds. In fact, it tended to dominate the other
birds at both of our two feeders. However, I figured that it was only a
matter of time before it would disappear because the temperature has gotten
steadily colder, and sure enough we had not seen it during this very cold
month - until this morning, when it appeared again in spite of the -10C
temperature. Since I had seen it only in the outback in Australia, I
figured that it was confined to warm climates. Obviously, not so. I wonder
how long it will be able to withstand the winter temperatures that will
inevitably be present for the remainder of the winter.
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