Beverly Tan and Michael Murray hug at Parrot Jungle, where a bird's indiscretion brought them together for the first time.

Picture the most embarrassing way to meet the love of your life, and you'll understand how Beverly Tan and Michael Murray endured a stinky first encounter.

Beverly, 28, is a freelance animator who grew up in San Francisco's Chinatown. In November 2005, having recently moved from the West Coast, she was working on a project involving ''a ribald family of South African parrots.'' This meant she had to study the nuances of a parrot's movement. So she bought a season pass to Parrot Jungle Island. On one of her visits she decided to watch a parrot show.

Enter Michael Murray. The 32-year-old Miamian is an entomologist, a guy who studies insects. Also a Parrot Jungle regular, he was at the attraction to celebrate the first birthday of orangutans Pumpkin and Peanut.

At the amphitheater for the afternoon show, Michael noticed a pretty young woman and surreptitiously chose a seat near her.

During one of the tricks, a red macaw soared above the young woman and . . . well, nature called. The bomb landed squarely on her head.

''I was so mortified,'' Beverly recalls with a shudder. ``I was doing everything to get it off my hair, but there was so much of it.''

Michael, though, was laughing hysterically. ''I saw it in mid-air, like slow motion,'' he says. ``It was a direct hit.''

''Yeah,'' Beverly counters. ``Everyone else in the audience was being polite -- except Michael.''

But he recovered long enough to walk over to the flustered young woman and offer his clean corn-dog wrapper.

''Leave it to a bird to crap on the prettiest woman in the audience,'' he told her.

He waited for her outside the restroom while she finished cleaning up; then they went for ice cream. She ordered vanilla, he pistachio. For two hours, they strolled the lush gardens, talking about their mutual interests in animals, food and the outdoors. When Michael finally asked for her number, Beverly was excited -- but skeptical.

Two days later, they agreed to dinner on Española Way in Miami Beach. But when Michael showed up on Beverly's doorstep with flowers, he announced a change in plans. Instead of a staid restaurant dinner, they would picnic under the stars in Bayfront Park with corn dogs and arepas, foods they both love.

Their dates continued to be creative -- a photography session in Little Haiti, a karaoke night at the Shelborne Hotel, a snorkeling jaunt to the Keys, where Beverly was stung by jellyfish. ''I love the outdoors, but something always happens to me,'' she says, giggling.

On March 28 Michael proposed. He carefully placed the ring on the abdomen of a lubber grasshopper Beverly was about to dissect for research.

''Pretty romantic,'' she insists.

In January they will marry on the beach. They plan to serve corn dogs and arepas as hors d'oeuvres. And they're hoping to score a parrot for the reception -- a parrot with bad aim.

''People who know us think it's just the way two people like us should meet,'' Beverly says, ``over bird poop.''

How a dirty bird turned into matchmaker - 06/17/2007 - MiamiHerald.com