Magpies

[Lord L]

territalks003 said:

I was walking with a friend one day, there was about six Magpies mobbing a cat! So I feel that yes they are vicious. Having said that! There may have been a good reason for them doing this!

Love

TT xxxx

Considering what cats do to birds, is it really all that surprising?

[Fi]

lindasahandir said:

rhondabout said:

I think where I come from it's more that the magpies tend to be responsible for eating the chicks which were supposed to be turning into chickens for the rest of us carnivores to eat - it's not that we object to them doing what they do to survive, but like so many other things in life we'd rather they didn't do anything unpleasant on our own doorsteps!

Oh, that I can understand, up to a point. It's the people who go on about Magpies killing off all the songbirds that really irritate me - because it's nonsense!

Not always - we had a couple set up home in small copse near our house. I loved them since they were so bold, and they loved being there because there was so much food (we kept/keep chickens) - so they multiplied. Eventually we estimated that there were 20 or so adults. Five years on there wasn't a small bird to be seen in the garden, the fledgelings from any hens eggs that were fortunate enough to hatch were eaten, and we were getting no hens eggs because the magpies were pinching the lot. So we took drastic (legal) measures and the magpies decamped. It took three or four years for the wild bird population to re-establish itself.

[Lord L]

fi said:

lindasahandir said:

Oh, that I can understand, up to a point. It's the people who go on about Magpies killing off all the songbirds that really irritate me - because it's nonsense!

Not always - we had a couple set up home in small copse near our house. I loved them since they were so bold, and they loved being there because there was so much food (we kept/keep chickens) - so they multiplied. Eventually we estimated that there were 20 or so adults. Five years on there wasn't a small bird to be seen in the garden, the fledgelings from any hens eggs that were fortunate enough to hatch were eaten, and we were getting no hens eggs because the magpies were pinching the lot. So we took drastic (legal) measures and the magpies decamped. It took three or four years for the wild bird population to re-establish itself.

From Hansard:

There is no evidence to suggest that Magpies or birds of prey have played a major role in the declines of songbirds. The population status of songbird and farmland bird species is monitored and Defra is aware of declines in certain species.

By contrast a Mammal Society survey suggests that 275 million wild animals (including birds) are killed each year by Britain's estimated 8 million cats.

And from the RSPB (who know about these things):

There has been a lot of work done into the reasons and in no case are magpies cited as the main reason for the decline."

Most British members of the crow family, including magpies, will take eggs and nestlings. RSPB research has found however that the number of magpies in an area makes no difference to songbird numbers. It found instead that the population was determined by the availability of food and suitable nesting places.

[Shuggie]

territalks003 said:

I was walking with a friend one day, there was about six Magpies mobbing a cat!

Suddenly I'm developing a soft spot for magpies ..

[Fi]

dcooper said:

fi said:

Not always - we had a couple set up home in small copse near our house. I loved them since they were so bold, and they loved being there because there was so much food (we kept/keep chickens) - so they multiplied. Eventually we estimated that there were 20 or so adults. Five years on there wasn't a small bird to be seen in the garden, the fledgelings from any hens eggs that were fortunate enough to hatch were eaten, and we were getting no hens eggs because the magpies were pinching the lot. So we took drastic (legal) measures and the magpies decamped. It took three or four years for the wild bird population to re-establish itself.

From Hansard:

There is no evidence to suggest that Magpies or birds of prey have played a major role in the declines of songbirds. The population status of songbird and farmland bird species is monitored and Defra is aware of declines in certain species.

By contrast a Mammal Society survey suggests that 275 million wild animals (including birds) are killed each year by Britain's estimated 8 million cats.

And from the RSPB (who know about these things):

There has been a lot of work done into the reasons and in no case are magpies cited as the main reason for the decline."

Most British members of the crow family, including magpies, will take eggs and nestlings. RSPB research has found however that the number of magpies in an area makes no difference to songbird numbers. It found instead that the population was determined by the availability of food and suitable nesting places.

As far as our garden was concerned, the numbers did drop - however, I assume that the song birds and other wild birds decamped to safer places to nest than our garden . And they moved back in once we had persuaded the magpies to leave. That says nothing about overall numbers, and the fledglings that they killed were so few that the number would have been a such a very small part of any major decline, that it becomes insignificant . It is simply what happened in a small area of prime avian real estate.
And yes thank you, surprising though it may seem, I was aware that the RSPB know something about birds.

[Lord L]

fi said:

dcooper said:

From Hansard:

There is no evidence to suggest that Magpies or birds of prey have played a major role in the declines of songbirds. The population status of songbird and farmland bird species is monitored and Defra is aware of declines in certain species.

By contrast a Mammal Society survey suggests that 275 million wild animals (including birds) are killed each year by Britain's estimated 8 million cats.

And from the RSPB (who know about these things):

There has been a lot of work done into the reasons and in no case are magpies cited as the main reason for the decline."

Most British members of the crow family, including magpies, will take eggs and nestlings. RSPB research has found however that the number of magpies in an area makes no difference to songbird numbers. It found instead that the population was determined by the availability of food and suitable nesting places.

As far as our garden was concerned, the numbers did drop - however, I assume that the song birds and other wild birds decamped to safer places to nest than our garden . And they moved back in once we had persuaded the magpies to leave. That says nothing about overall numbers, and the fledglings that they killed were so few that the number would have been a such a very small part of any major decline, that it becomes insignificant . It is simply what happened in a small area of prime avian real estate.
And yes thank you, surprising though it may seem, I was aware that the RSPB know something about birds.

I didn't mean that you didn't!

I meant that it might be considered by some that anyone recorded in Hansard might not.

[Lucy Lastic]

I live in the country. We have buzzards nesting on an island in the river beside us, we have ospreys that return to same nest each year. There are crows, rooks, sparrow hawks, kestrels (magpies are rare in this part fo the world). So with all these raptors and corvids you might think there would be a shortage of songbirds - but you'd be wrong. We can have 50+ in and around the feeders and bird tables. A pest of a cat from the farm up the road does more harm to the birds than all the raptors and corvids put together.
However, nature is nature and birds and animals kill for food. the ospreys and the otters take fish from the river. The sparrow hawks and kestrels will take mice and young rabbits. The oyster catchers prod the ground for worms. The foxes will take chickens if they get the chance and I've seen them with a new born roe deer. It's what happens and no worse than dangling a hook in the water so some fish can get it in its mouth, or blasting an unsuspecting grouse or pheasant with a 12 bore and calling it sport then bragging about the size of your haul! I'm not against killing animals for food (I'm a card carrying carnivore) but I was taught that if you fish or shoot, you kill no more than you will eat at your next meal. that is what animals and birds do.

[carlott]

Not scientific I recognise but where we lived previously the neighbours had two massive Leylandii growing as one. Therein lived, at varying levels - Starlings, Wood Pigeons and at the very top of the trees Magpies. This went on year in year out for the 20 years that I lived there. Our garden was home to Sparrows, Blackbirds, Song Thrushes, Finches of several varieties including Gold and various members of the Titmice family. Along with many other varieties that called in on occasions. Goldcrest, Sparrowhawk and Nuthatch being oh so rare visitors.

[revmichael]

Lucy, what a lovely place you must live in - and you, Carl.

Here we get the occasional sparrow and starling - and our robin, of course, plus magpies.
We used to have collared doves but I haven't seen any for some while.

But we do have great bit slabs of concrete in our town centre.

[carlott]

shuggie said:

territalks003 said:

I was walking with a friend one day, there was about six Magpies mobbing a cat!

Suddenly I'm developing a soft spot for magpies ..

I wonder if they could be trained?

[Lucy Lastic]

carlott said:

shuggie said:

Suddenly I'm developing a soft spot for magpies ..

I wonder if they could be trained?

I could provide the cat

[shemlock]

I must admit, I am changing my opinion of Magpies, They do have attractive plumage, but the noise, especially when they have babies. I never need a 5 o' clock alarm when the young magpies are calling to the parents to be fed. I live in the countryside, so we are lucky to have a large variety of birds and wildlife. I accept it is natural for predators to seek out their victims, and it is hard to stand by and observe. I have heard rabbits squeal, when they have been caught, by a predator, and that is horrible. Then I am also able to enjoy seeing rabbits, foxes and badgers. We would not be able to enjoy the variety of species that we do, if we tried to eradicate one type for living its life as intended by nature. It keeps the natural order and balance.

[carlott]

shemlock said:

I must admit, I am changing my opinion of Magpies, They do have attractive plumage, but the noise, especially when they have babies. I never need a 5 o' clock alarm when the young magpies are calling to the parents to be fed. I live in the countryside, so we are lucky to have a large variety of birds and wildlife. I accept it is natural for predators to seek out their victims, and it is hard to stand by and observe. I have heard rabbits squeal, when they have been caught, by a predator, and that is horrible. Then I am also able to enjoy seeing rabbits, foxes and badgers. We would not be able to enjoy the variety of species that we do, if we tried to eradicate one type for living its life as intended by nature. It keeps the natural order and balance.

Interesting your mention of not needing an alarm clock due to Magpies. When I moved from the coutnry to the subburbs I was waking about an hour before the alarm clock went off. I puzzled over this for a week or so until one morning when awoken I heard a Blackbird giving the warning call to alert others that a predator was about. The call was at a similar freqency to my electronic alarm clock

[Shuggie]

carlott said:

The call was at a similar freqency to my electronic alarm clock

Some members of the Crow family can imitate sounds .. does anyone know if Blackbirds have a similar ability?

[Lord L]

shuggie said:

carlott said:

The call was at a similar freqency to my electronic alarm clock

Some members of the Crow family can imitate sounds .. does anyone know if Blackbirds have a similar ability?

I have never heard of Blackbirds imitating sounds - certainly (as you say) some Crows can, and obviously Starlings (Mynahs are members of the Starling family) can.

[shemlock]

dcooper said:

I have never heard of Blackbirds imitating sounds - certainly (as you say) some Crows can, and obviously Starlings (Mynahs are members of the Starling family) can.

In the field opposite our house, our local 'one man and his dog', train with the sheep, and we have noticed some birds imitating his whistle commands after he has gone. We thought it was the blackbirds, and they also do good phone ring imitations. If it is not blackbirds, which bird is it? I cannot say that I have seen starlings about when the imitations are being done.

[Lucy Lastic]

shemlock said:

dcooper said:

I have never heard of Blackbirds imitating sounds - certainly (as you say) some Crows can, and obviously Starlings (Mynahs are members of the Starling family) can.

In the field opposite our house, our local 'one man and his dog', train with the sheep, and we have noticed some birds imitating his whistle commands after he has gone. We thought it was the blackbirds, and they also do good phone ring imitations. If it is not blackbirds, which bird is it? I cannot say that I have seen starlings about when the imitations are being done.

It's more likely to be jackdaws, crows or starlings. I've never heard blackbirds doing imitations.

[Fi]

lucylastic said:

shemlock said:

In the field opposite our house, our local 'one man and his dog', train with the sheep, and we have noticed some birds imitating his whistle commands after he has gone. We thought it was the blackbirds, and they also do good phone ring imitations. If it is not blackbirds, which bird is it? I cannot say that I have seen starlings about when the imitations are being done.

It's more likely to be jackdaws, crows or starlings. I've never heard blackbirds doing imitations.

I have, on occasion, had 'conversations' with blackbirds - basically thy sing, I respond with a poor imitation and so on. Once they catch on, if I then try a different whistle, some of them definitely try to imitate it. I guess it's a bit like learning new swear words. It helps not to have neighbours too close if you don't want a reputation for being slightly crazy.

[Shuggie]

dcooper said:

shuggie said:

Some members of the Crow family can imitate sounds .. does anyone know if Blackbirds have a similar ability?

I have never heard of Blackbirds imitating sounds - certainly (as you say) some Crows can, and obviously Starlings (Mynahs are members of the Starling family) can.

When I was a carefree bachelor in Kenya, I looked after a Mynah (called, rather unimaginatively, Rastus) for an expat couple who were on leave.

It was an "interesting" exercise .. even more "interesting" for the owners when they returned ..

[Fi]

|Yeah well, who wants a bird that can sing the whole of Handel's Messiah?