SOUTHEAST, N.Y. -- In the condominium complex where he's lived for the past 20 years, Harry Bachrach has something of a reputation.

When he takes his beagle out for a walk every morning, his two cats always follow behind, a procession that's sparked more than a few humorous comments from neighbors.

"He's like the Pied Piper of animals," said Bachrach's wife, Celeste. "It's kind of a joke, 'Here comes the parade, Harry and his animals.'"

But what her husband brought home from his constitutional at the 200-acre Fieldstone Estates development Friday morning surprised even his wife.

"I went out about 6:30 (a.m.) to walk the dog and the cats. A bird came swooping down and landed on my shoulder." Bachrach said.

When he got over his surprise, he realized the bird was a parrot, colored lime green and yellow about 8 inches long, minus the tail.

"It was the funniest thing," his wife said. "He wakes me up out of a dead sleep, and says, "I've got a problem."

His new companion refused to stray very far from her husband, Celeste said. Even when pushed, it would fly about two feet, then return, she said.

"We assume it must be owned by someone who lives here, because I don't think they travel very far." Celeste said. But with 395 other units in the complex, where to start looking is a problem.
The Bachrachs contacted state police at the Brewster barracks, but as of Sunday, they'd received no reports of a missing bird, a trooper said. They've also checked contacted local pet shops and the humane society

In the meantime, the parrot has taken up residence in a dog crate in which the Bachrach's have mounted a broomstick for a perch, chomping away happily on a diet of bird seed, lettuce and carrots., Harry, an avid New York Yankees fan, has taken to calling the bird Andy, after pitcher Andy Pettitte.

"We think it must belong to a man, because every time a woman goes up to the cage, it pecks at them. But it loves my husband," Celeste said.

"We'd love to find the owner," she said. "Our townhouse is only about 1,600 square feet, and with all the animals, it's kind of crowded around here."


Anyone with information about the owner of the parrot can contact the Bachrachs by e-mail at HarryB44H@comcast.net.

News Times Live Southeast's 'Pied Piper' attracts feathered friend
Follow the link for a picture of the bird.