Petshop birds gone wild!

I'll try to keep this brief.

Ever since I moved to Scottsdale, AZ, I have been seeing these strange birds. At first they were hard to see because I walked by something that flew away, and all I saw was green with a shiny blue end (abdomen, tail, whatever). They camouflaged very well in the grass...at first.

Then I was riding my bike home one day, and I saw a bunch of the same birds perched on a tree, growing along a wall! Except this time, I saw their faces, orange-ish red. They were absolutely beautiful.

Of course, after walking by and seeing them again weeks later, I had to find out what they were. They weren't native to Arizona, and they looked like freed pet shop birds! Then I found out they were lovebirds of the rose/peach faced variety! I'm instantly hooked and longing to see these birds again, as their viewings are far between! But I am moving from Scottsdale to Phoenix, and I don't think I'll see them in this more urban landscape any more. *sigh*

Anyway, my thought of the day is this:  these birds were taken from their homeland to be sold as exotic pets, yet some are free and thriving in the places that would otherwise be considered strange land to them.  They add so much color and beauty to the desert and very much reminds me of the perseverance of displaced peoples everywhere and the beauty they contribute to their new surroundings (over time).  Well, at least it brings me a new metaphorical view of the history of the African diaspora.