I just picked up this thread from January 2011, but thought this might be interesting: I had to start clearing the ivy from my neighbours tree, the magpies nest is clearly seen in the centre of the picture just left of the ivy. I took this photo on Jan 7th 2012 - The magpies had been building since just before Christmas. They re-sited the nest in this tree as the old nest, two trees further along had been blown to bits in the Autumn gales. a-a
The magpies make me laugh the way they pinch all the bread I put out for the birds and bury it among leaves, plants or at the moment snow, one was walking round yesterday could almost see it scratching its head saying where the hell did I put that food everywhere looks the same, white. They can be hooligans though can't they,wrecked our sun loungers the other year ,woke early in the morning to a right noise looked outside and there was stuffing and material flying everywhere,and 5 or 6 magpies,think it was their idea of a foam party It was probably a frozen worm in his mouth Clara
I didn't know that, Sheal. - but I have read somewhere that the young from the previous years who have not themselves paired-up assist their parents with the new brood - sort of chick-sitting etc., They do get some bad press, but what truly attractive birds they are. a-a
Yes, you're right Alex they are very much family birds. My previous house was on the edge of a ravine and a pair of magpies used to nest in one of the trees down there every year, the top of the tree was just below my garden level and it was fascinating to watch them coming and going, rearing their young. I lived there nine years and every year they nested in the same place.
I know lots of people dislike them, but I enjoy having them around. They're such characters - and so clever. I once heard a terrible racket outside and discovered that it was a pair of magpies winding up the neighbourhood tom cat. He had climbed into their tree, so they were staying just beyond his reach, cackling in a way that would make any self-respecting tom want to climb just that little bit higher. You could almost hear the birds saying: 'one more twig. Go on, one more twig and you don't so much fly as plummet, you *****.
