The parrots sure are squawking this week, typically starting in the hours following sunrise and again before sunset. The closest coastal community to University Heights is 12 kilometers (7.5 miles)—less as the bird flies; Ocean Beach is better known habitat for the exotic fliers, so their presence is surprising but definitely welcome.
Late last month, I felt quite lucky to get photos of the birds on a neighbor’s roof. Today, a parrot pair presented in a palm that I happened to be nearby and angled into the morning sun. I pulled out Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, set the camera to 10x zoom, and started shooting. The Featured Image and companions are the result.
Red-crowned Amazons are the species, which is native to Mexico. Being a New Englander, I am enthralled seeing—and hearing—tropical birds flitter about.
The three photos are presented in sequence; the pairs started out together, then separated. One moved to another branch, into direct sunlight and unobstructed. The trio is captured as composed. Vitals for the first: f/3.4, ISO 32, 1/250 sec, (synthetic) 230mm (digital and optical zoom); 8:59 a.m. PDT. The second is same but 1/320 sec. The last is 1/470 sec and 9:02 a.m.