This was N.’s first reaction after having witnessed first-hand the wild parakeets of Amsterdam. (Incidentally, they may be parrots instead of parakeets. I’m a photographer, not an ornithologist.)

According to local folklore, two birds were released or escaped around 1975. Regardless of their origin, they have certainly flourished since then. There are now thousands. Though their green hues coupled with a tendency to reside in green trees makes them difficult to spot visually, their screeching is unmistakable.