Pretty Birds

First thing I read this morning in the New York Times is this story about a fresh attack on the "liberal anti-faith judges" by the right wingnut Christians and my head feels like it's going to explode. So I need to think happy thoughts and not get worked into a lather today.

So today I'll tell you about a great little movie my wife and I saw several weeks ago. It's a documentary called The Wild Parrots Of Telegraph Hill, about this guy in San Francisco who befriended a flock of tropical parrots, called cherry-headed conures, that live in the city. Apparently these were pets who escaped or were set free by their owners and have done perfectly fine on their own in the wild, and are even breeding so there are well over a hundred of them in the flock now. So this guy Mark Bittner, who moved to San Francisco in the 70s to be a rock star and mostly has been a bohemian and street musician, started feeding them in the 90s and eventually gained their trust to the point they started eating out of his hands. He then gave most of them names, based mostly on their personalities or physical markings. And he took care of them if they got sick or injured.

He then decided to keep a journal about the birds which he turned into a book. And then an environmental documentary filmmaker heard about him. And she has made a really incredible film. Some wonderful shots of these parrots in the wild and of Bittner interacting with them and you really can see the birds' different personalities. You can see how much this guy falls in love with these birds, and how he's affected when one gets sick and dies or gets caught by a hawk. You'll fall in love with Bittner as much as the birds.

So go see this movie. And read the book. It really is a wonderful story. Go here to see when and where it's playing near you.