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Why Peter's happy to have seven birds round for Sunday lunch ...

Marie Burchill
13/ 3/2008

SUNDAY is the one day of the week when families come together.

But for Peter Whyatt from Fallowfield his family gatherings are slightly out of the ordinary – as his garden plays host to a family of seven parakeets.

The family of exotic birds have been paying impromptu visits to Mr Whyatt’s garden every Sunday, between 2pm and 4pm, for the last three weeks.

And it seems that the parakeets – with their bluey-green plumages – have become a welcome addition.

Mr Whyatt, who lives on Whitebrook Road, said: "I first spotted the parakeets about three weeks ago.

"They have been visiting my garden ever since, and it’s normally between 2pm and 4pm each Sunday.

"There have been seven parakeets each time, so they must be a family.

"As soon as I saw them the first time I grabbed my camera and took pictures of them. I tried to get a picture of all of them together during their most recent visit, but they were all spread out among the trees in my garden.

"They are really beautiful birds, and although bird-watching has never really been my thing, I couldn’t take my eyes off them."

Parakeets originate from the foothills of the Himalayas and over the years a number of myths have circulated as to how they first arrived in this country – with some saying that parakeets escaped from Shepperton Studios in west London during the filming of The African Queen in 1951.

Parakeets have already colonised parts of the south and ornithologists believe that they are now beginning to do the same in the north.

Leon Patsalides, a keen ornithologist from Whalley Range, said: "Parakeets have been in this country for a good while and now, slowly but surely, they are moving northwards. People have already been looking out for their appearances as far north as Manchester.

"This is fantastic news to hear about these parakeets in Mr Whyatt’s garden. Parakeets are such beautiful birds and it is brilliant to see them in our area.

"The reason they have returned time and time again to Mr Whyatt’s garden is probably because of certain foods that have been put out.

"This shows that the parakeets have extended their breeding and are now in Manchester."

Some experts have predicted that in a few years’ time parakeets will be as common in Manchester as magpies and sparrows.