When a blue-and-yellow parakeet landed on the ground near his feet at the Haymarket Farmers Market last Saturday, Brian Nelson instinctively bent down and put out his finger.
The bird hopped on and sat for a few minutes, then relocated to Nelson's shoulder, where it sat for the rest of the morning.
"He just wasn't going to leave," Nelson said. "It was really odd, but you couldn't help but smile."
Nelson and his wife, Karen, run a booth for their business, Nellie's Pet Snacks, every Saturday at the downtown farmers market.
They took the bird home with them. They borrowed a cage from friends and bought food and toys, Nelson said.
Research led them to conclude the bird was a male, based on its color.Â
They think it's likely the bird is someone's pet because of how friendly and well-trained it is.
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"If he was our pet, we'd be heartbroken if we lost him," Nelson said. "We're trying not to get too attached, but it's hard."
In an effort to stay detached, the Nelsons haven't given the bird a name. And they reached out the farmers market manager, who posted about the bird on the "Lost Pets of Lancaster County" Facebook page.
Nelson is trying to teach the bird to say "Pleasure to meet you," the phrase emblazoned on his shirt the day the bird showed up behind his booth.
The bird already knew how to say "pretty bird" and how to whistle, though Nelson says it sounds more like a "scratchy tape recording."
The Nelsons posted fliers around the farmers market Saturday with a picture of the lost bird and their contact information.
If no one reaches out to them, Nelson said they'll keep the bird.