The magpies think it's spring!

I've just seen a magpie flying off with a whacking great twig in its mouth. Presumably it thinks that spring has sprung. I can't think of any other reason for its behaviour - unless it's taken to bullying other birds by hitting them with sticks.

 

Clara, the magpies round here seem to want to fly off with any shiny or big object. I think they are collecting stuff to sell at a car boot sale !!
My friend lost 4 screwdrivers whilst fixing the electrics on her motor bike and she only noticed that the magpies were making off with them when she saw one sat on the roof opposite her house with one of the little screwdrivers in it's beak.

 

That's a lovely story, Shobhna. Happy New Year, by the way.

 

I to have a tale to tell about a thieving magpie.
Outside with my toolbox open beside me when this thieving magpie touchdowned on my box selected a small file with a wooden handle and flew off with it, never to be seen again.
I still miss that file to this day.

 

Yes, the Magpies will be collecting sticks, Claralou, as are the crows. That whole family likes to get started early.
They steal sticks from each others nests.
The Jackdaws here come on little raiding parties just to annoy the crows over in crow wood.
I don't think they actually do anything except swoop about, shouting, like a bunch of hooligans,
Last year the Jackdaws ripped strips off my fleece and stuffed them down my neighbours chimney.
It was quite funny to watch but my neighbour wasn't amused - she had the bill for getting the chimney cleaned out .

 

Clara its funny you should say that, I mentioned to mr 02 that the magpies were building there nests

already only last week and normally (well round here anyway) they dont normally start untill March.

Im not keen on magpies as they tend to scare allthe smaller birds away and try and take over. last year in

next doors tree a breeding pair had a brood of about 6 or 7!!! They were a bunch of bullys but thats nature for you, it isnt always ideal

 

We had a magpie many years back, that would come and take any silver coin from your hand and fly away into the distance. We used to try and trick it with a penny wrapped in silver paper but he would always tear it off and disgard the coin ..Never did find where he took all the coins ..

Dave .

 

Thanks for all your magpie stories. I know they are bullies but there is something fascinating about them - they're so bright and resourceful, like all the crow family. I hadn't realised they started nest building so early, Alice. It seems a little foolhardy to me - we could easily have another dose of snow. But maybe they've figured out how to rig up central heating as well.

 

We were drilling and pinning hamstone 100 foot up on a local church. Normally we'd resin glue in the stainless steel pins to hold the laminating faces back, but it was friday afternoon & we'd just cut the pins & left them in the holes, intending to resin them in monday morning.

Come monday, nearly all pins were missing. Jackdaws.

 

Just a thought ... why do magpies and jackdaws like shiny, silvery things so much? I mean, do the males with the most bling get the best birds, so as to speak? Thank goodness they haven't discovered Burberry.

 

Thank you, Woo. So it seems the answer is yes ... bling-bling = better magpie girlfriends. They're very beautiful birds, don't you think? Can't say much for their singing voices, though.

 

Yes, you've got it Clara Lou. The "birds" do like bling and the most exotic males are the most attractive to the females.
In research it has been shown that puting coloured ring clips on cocks legs (any species) makes them more attractive to females in the mating game.

And, it's not just the crow family who rob into other birds nests. You should see what woodpeckers do - all the same stuff.