View Full Version : Magpies
In my back green yesterday I counted 8 magpies at one time, I honestly have never seen so many gathered together in the city at one time, is this the reason for the lack of my usual tits, chaffinches, and even my robin? And there were 3 grey squirrels roaming around on the ground at the same time.
Magpies and blue tits aren't good bed fellows. One of the greates predators of eggs and chicks is magpies.
We have more magpies that I care to count, they are one of the fastest growing species of bird and are rapidly expanding their range north.
They seem to co-exsist with the other birds here although at nesting time they are known to raid, had a blackbird ousted by them a couple of years back much to my annoyance.
Being a member of the crow family, they make the most of every oppurtunity including lining their nests with bright objects so don't put those spangled tights on the washing line!
A birder in Oz told me that all black and white birds are feared by other birds - a mark of agression? Even the little Willie Wagtail was extremely feisty, as were the Peewits which are very common over there - all B&W. The Magpies attacked me time and time again in WA during the nesting season as I cycled past their nests - some cyclists over there have been injured after being dive-bombed and many have resorted to painting eyes on the top of their helmets and all manner of similar scare-off tactics.
Mind you the Maggies were still one of my favourites; the Oz ones have an amazing and beautiful warbling song, very complex and covering several octaves. Here's one that serenaded me for 20 minutes just a metre away while I was having breakfast one morning in a caravan park:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/daviddd/08-01-01Day88image9Stratford.jpg
percy toboggan
21-Jan-09, 18:13
One of the worst moment sin my back garden came a few springs ago when a Magpie entered the ivy we'd been watching for weeks (lot sof bird acitivity) and emerged with an egg in it's mouth. I felt like shooting the beggar...but didn't.
Red in tooth and claw and all that.
Today a little Robin visited the back of my tractor unit and perched on the coiled pipes that carry the air for the brakes. It was three feet away from me and I studied it intensely for several seconds before it flew away . It was beautiful....I mused which one of us was the superior creature....then decided I was.
Mother Bear
21-Jan-09, 19:41
Yes, there seem to be a lot of very friendly, inquisitive robins around at the moment.....they just love to appear to see what you are up too, don't they? They are lovely.
looking in my bird book its sats that magpies are scarse in or absent from upland and northern districts also the pic is not a magpie it might be a juvenile rook?
we get loads of magpies near my house (glasgow) My mam knows when shes near ine cause she starts seeing them all together.
my eldest son loves the poem about magpies and recites it any time he sees them, my 2 year old just shouts out "16 pagpies" :lol:
they are beautiful birds though.
Kevin Milkins
27-Jan-09, 00:49
I have not seen one in Caithness, but down South they are very prolific.
I am not sure why ,but when seeing a Magpie it is tradition to salute it and say "good morning Colonel".
Can anyone shed some light on that one.
goldenguernsey
27-Jan-09, 00:54
do you know what colour a magpie really is?
goldenguernsey
27-Jan-09, 00:57
it's not black and white lol
Kevin Milkins
27-Jan-09, 00:59
do you know what colour a magpie really is?
Is it a trick question.
I thought black and white.:confused
Kevin Milkins
27-Jan-09, 01:04
When the light is on them they look like a petrol on water colour, a bit like a starling, but I am sure that's not going to be the answer.lol
goldenguernsey
27-Jan-09, 01:06
it's bottle green not black
Aaldtimer
27-Jan-09, 04:07
it's bottle green not black
My bird book describes it as :-
"Adult bird has Black and White plumage and a long tail. Flanks and belly are white and head dark. Both sexes are alike.The glossy tail and wing plumage shines purple, red, blue and green."
They are also the scourge of many song birds nestlings.
:(
do we agree the pic is not a magpie so what is it?
It's an australian magpie as davidd pointed out on his post, just glad ours are n't so large and ferocious looking!
To the person who asked about saluting them, there is an old ryhme that goes.
1 for sorrow,
2 for joy,
3 for a letter
4 for a boy
5 for something better,
so maybe as a single magpie is considered bad luck that is the reason why they are saluted in the hope of warding it off.
It's an australian magpie as davidd pointed out on his post, just glad ours are n't so large and ferocious looking!
To the person who asked about saluting them, there is an old ryhme that goes.
1 for sorrow,
2 for joy,
3 for a letter
4 for a boy
5 for something better,
so maybe as a single magpie is considered bad luck that is the reason why they are saluted in the hope of warding it off.
or....
1 for sorrow
2 for joy
3 for a girl
4 for a boy
5 for silver
6 for gold
7's a story never to be told
8's a wish
9's a kiss
10 is the one you should bever miss
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