A leafless tree looks alive again after being overrun by parakeets.
Images capture thousands of the bright green birds looking just like leaves,in two conker trees above a south London BP Garage yesterday.
Both trees shed their leaves for winter, but the birds are making them appear green again next to the petrol station and Subway near Mitcham Common on Mitcham Road.
Close up, their vibrant red beaks and lurid feathers pack the bare branches in the night.
Ring-necked parakeets have lived in the UK for over 50 years, and were added to the UK pest list in 2010 as their numbers soared.
There are many rumours of how the parakeets arrived in London – two popular ones are Jimi Hendrix releasing two on Carnaby Street, and birds escaping from the set of the 1951 film African Queen.
However, most researchers reportedly believe the parakeets took over the Capital by being repeatedly released and introduced.
Scientists discovered most parakeets in London are descended from Pakistani or Indian birds.
