Bread and Water

[Ruby]

Hi All,

Some bread was thrown out for the birds yesterday and it didn't all get eaten - I would imagine that it's drying out pretty quickly in all this lovely weather....

When I went down to the bottom of the garden this morning, there was a large chunk of bread in the bird-bath. I emptied it out and replenished the water.

Just outside this afternoon and there's more bread in the water....

Question is, do you reckon this is just an accident and some cunning bird's idea of making his snack a bit more palatable??

Haven't seen them at it, but I go for the latter, done by Magpies (which have just built a nest at the bottom of the garden - nice!!)

What do you reckon??


Rgds... Ruby

[helenol]

I'm not usually a gambling person, but I'll have a bet on this one....magpie.

[mungicake]

Question is, do you reckon this is just an accident and some cunning bird's idea of making his snack a bit more palatable??


What do you reckon??



Ruby,

Don't know about Magpies but I've seen black birds dunk the bread in water before eating it.

Chris

[Michael Frankis]

Carrion Crows dunk dry bread too. So do Mallards, occasionally, but I doub't they'd go in a bird bath!

Michael

[Elizabeth Bigg]

I'm sure I've read about magpies dunking dry bread in water - how about offering them a nice cup of tea for dunking to make a change???? Though on second thoughts I wouldn't encourage magpies - they killed four little blackbird chicks by removing their heads, soon before they were due to fledge - and yes, I know it's nature - but I'm a nimby!!!!!

[Ruby]

I'm sure I've read about magpies dunking dry bread in water - how about offering them a nice cup of tea for dunking to make a change???? :clap:


Now that's a thought.......

I reckon I should fill the bird bath up with a nice drop of Earl Grey and then put out an assortment of chocolate digestives..... :eek!:

[helenol]

Last year, I noticed a frog who didn't seem in the best of health. Shortly after that, a magpie began pecking at it.

I forgot all about it until I went to fill up the bird bath. Inside was a very dead frog indeed. The bird bath is hanging from a tree branch and is approx. 5' off the ground! I can only assume the magpie tried to pick it up and dropped it in the bath! Weird.

[Elizabeth Bigg]

:clap:


Now that's a thought.......

I reckon I should fill the bird bath up with a nice drop of Earl Grey and then put out an assortment of chocolate digestives..... :eek!:

You'll have to put out toothpaste and brush if you go to this extreme - or should that be billpaste and brush? We might be sent to Ruffled Feathers if we go on like this!!! :eek!: :eek!:

[Ruby]

..... Happened again today....

Even I'm not prepared to take coincidence that far, so I reckon that this must be deliberate behaviour....

[IanF]

Our Magpies do it too. Sorry about the quality of this old shot. That's a piece of bread it's just dunked under it's right foot.

[Ruby]

Our Magpies do it too. Sorry about the quality of this old shot. That's a piece of bread it's just dunked under it's right foot.

Aha!! Caught in the act....

Don't quite know what it is about the character of Magpies, but without any hint of seeing them do it, I was pretty convinced they were the culprits!!

I think it's a good shot Ian - thanks for that....

Interested in the perspective... Looks like you were either very close, or very high!!

[Screech]

Over here in the USA, I have observed the Common Crow dunking, bread, donuts.
A pair hang out at the back of the bakery, a case of sweet mandible!

[deboo]

Crows up in the Peak District are frequently seen holding Dippers in their beaks to retrieve any sunken dunked item....
My friend who is a Baker says....At this time of the year he cannot leave any windows open when he makes pies...due to the fact that there are always 24 Blackbirds trying to get in....
I have personally seen a Magpie in H Samuels setting up a credit account...

Honest Dave.

[IanF]

Aha!! Caught in the act....


Interested in the perspective... Looks like you were either very close, or very high!!

Hi Ruby,

Thnks for that. The photo was taken though the window from a first floor bedroom from about 20' using an Olympus C2000Z+EagleEye 5x Optic Zoom.

Ian

[Ruby]

Crows up in the Peak District are frequently seen holding Dippers in their beaks to retrieve any sunken dunked item....
My friend who is a Baker says....At this time of the year he cannot leave any windows open when he makes pies...due to the fact that there are always 24 Blackbirds trying to get in....
I have personally seen a Magpie in H Samuels setting up a credit account...

Honest Dave.

:clap: :clap:

Oh dear Oh dear..... I read this at 07:30 in the morning and actually got halfway through before I 'twigged'

Nice one Honest Dave....

[Bird Nut]

I used to have crows that I'd throw out bread for. They'd always gather up as much as they could and take it to the bird bath (which was on the ground on my patio) and dunk it before eating it. I've read that this is one way they get moisture without having to take a drink.


In fact, the crow in my avatar is at the birdbath dunking a piece of bread.

Sadly, my crows have deserted me this year. Hope the West Nile didn't get them.