December 6: Yesterday I went over to Boynton Beach Inlet Park to look for a Rose-ringed Parakeet that has been seen regularly there over the past few weeks. I arrived there at around 10:30 AM at about the same time as four other photographers with long lenses, but although there was a large flock of Nandays, the Rose-ringed remained hidden somewhere amongst the fronds of the tall palm trees the entire time. One of the backgammon players told us he sees that parakeet daily when he feeds the birds at 7 AM, so I went back early this morning. It’s only twenty minutes from home.

I arrived at 6:55, along with two of the group from yesterday, but sure enough no one was there with food. It turns out that the regular Nanday flock doesn’t fly in until after 10 AM, and the one green bird we spotted (no food necessary) at exactly 7:25 turned out to be the one with the bright red bill – the Rose-ringed itself. It is no doubt an escaped cage bird, and remains solitary, moving among the palm trees. It does not comingle with the Nandays.