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As we all know, Magpies have a little habit during the breeding season and I should imagine even though it is nature, its something many aren't keen on.
Well I've had a Magpie visit here for a few years, it was injured and couldn't fly and used to get in and out of the garden by climbing the fence.
Anyway, as soon as he was fit and able he would still come back for food and strut around the garden. Come spring though he instinct kicked in and he'd be in the confiers making that rattling call and sending all the birds flying (presumably for the eggs).
I spent some time giving some thought on how I could stop the Magpie doing this around the garden and came up with a solution - monkey nuts!
He goes absolutely wild for them and will spend the day collecting them and hiding them around our street and garden - I think every one of our neighbours now has a nut or two in their guttering or between the tiles on the roof, lol!
Just thought I'd share (in my usual waffling manner) my story of how I keep my Magpie occupied during spring :o)
I have found this very interesting due to the recent behaviour of my male magpie. He is very large in comparison to his mrs and as you may have seen on my recent posts has taken to attacking pigeons in my garden apparently for their feathers. There are a lot of them on the lawn again today. I may try some monkey nuts to see if these keep him busy.
He has caught a mouse in the garden and any birds feeding now vanish as soon as he appears. He is very shy of me though but I will try to get a picture of him.
Sarah
I've learned that I still have a lot to learn...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bramble67/
I've got a pair of magpies busily building a nest in one of my trees. In the very next tree along is the only nestbox which has received any interest at all from blue tits.
I was worrying about whether they would finally move in, only to find their eggs nicked by the magpies, when a friend said to me that the magpies would be unlikely to raid the blue tit box when they themselves are nesting so close by. That sounded a bit optimistic to me - what do other folks think?
BB
I'll play catch-up on this thread later as I'm just on my way out to work. But just wanted to say, I put a handful of monkey nuts out yesterday afternoon for the Magpie and he's just buried the last one in the lawn - all the rest have disappeared! They don't forget a thing!
:o)
I have not yet bought any, but they are on my shopping list. He was chasing starlings this morning and has started swooping into the conifers where the sparrow colony is.
I am at work but have discovered this forum is not blocked by the schools security filter. (Not sure that's a good thing as this is not what I should currently be doing!!!)
Hi Badgerbread, I think there's a possibility that your friend may be right. I have heard of other small birds nesting in the same tree as Sparrowhawks and being left alone and being safe. Even though two different types of bird, maybe the same applies with Magpies too?
I never got chance to put some more money nuts out again today, I bet my Magpie is back first thing looking for them! When I used to be up at 4:30am for work he used to be the first bird I'd see in the garden.