Magpie! (1 Viewer)

More returning visitors to the garden to day in the shape of a magpie (they were two of them but only one came down)! I'm happy to see them in the garden as I personally think they are beautiful birds, and a welcome return. They have never been frequent visitors, they fly across but rarely come down. When they DID visit the garden frequently, it was to drink water not to eat the food!

Another return comes in the much smaller shape of...a coal tit. This means all three of the regular tit visitors are back to using the feeders, and I can only hope for some long-tailed tits to come buy and decide to use the feeders!

Hi Kat

I have just been watching the Coal Tits on the feeders in my own garden. They have been regular visitors ever since I have lived here along with the Blue and Great. Very rarely get Long Tailed but they do pass through on occaisions. The Coal Tits never seem to disappear for any lengh of time.
I too like Magpies. For along time they would get in the trees at the bottom of the garden, or fly over, but never come into the garden. Now I have a family that visit the garden everyday. As you mentioned often more interested in the water than the feeding. If there is any bread around they follow the usual habit of taking it to the bird bath and soaking it before taking it to eat. Rarely have I seen them take it withouit doing this. Seemingly they feel at home now and nest just a little further down the road. I noticed this summer that they were keeping a close eye on the nesting sites of other birds. The Blackbirds in particular put up a stong defence and happily the Magpies seem to have had little effect on breeding success, although without doubt will have had some.

Silvershark said:

More returning visitors to the garden to day in the shape of a magpie (they were two of them but only one came down)! I'm happy to see them in the garden as I personally think they are beautiful birds, and a welcome return. They have never been frequent visitors, they fly across but rarely come down. When they DID visit the garden frequently, it was to drink water not to eat the food!

Another return comes in the much smaller shape of...a coal tit. This means all three of the regular tit visitors are back to using the feeders, and I can only hope for some long-tailed tits to come buy and decide to use the feeders!

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Hi kat,
I agree with you, magpies are beautiful birds, I am always pleased to see one when I am out birdwatching.
I have a return visitor today as well, the wrens have finally put in an appearance after a long absence, (they disappeared the day after their babies fledged, way back in May.) so I am really pleased to see them back in the garden. A goldfinch was at one of the feeders today as well although it did'nt seem very happy about having to share with the sparrows!

Magpies

Hi Kat

The birds are starting to return to my garden after the summer break. The sparrows have never left, they were breeding until well into August and now there's so many they're eating me out of house and home. Blue tits called in now and again but now they are regular visitors. Goldfinches came back last month, a great tit visits occasionally also two coal tits. There was a family of long tailed tits here yesterday, systematically going round the the trees and roses looking for aphids. "My" robin, who moved on in May has returned and comes every day for mealworms. I'm hoping that the wren, who used to share the mealworms, will come back too. The blackbirds haven't come back yet, if they don't hurry up the firethorn berries will all have been eaten by the sparrows. They're always nibbling away at them. As for magpies, yes they come and clean up the scraps. Much as I like them ,I wasn't best pleased when I saw one taking a fledgeling sparrow last Spring.

Hi all. I also have two magpies visiting and they have been here every day now since beginning of the year. They both had a nest in our holly tree and I think only one baby. Both of them turn up every day for some mealworms and funnily enough they always know when I put them out! The other day they were both pinching peanuts out of the squirrel tray much to the annoyance of the squirrel which has also become a daily visitor. Actually I think it lives here!

The magpies then started to hide the peanuts in the lawn which I have never seen them do before. The squirrel found them today. :-O

Two coal tits are also regular visitors and I have heard them sing in our garden and there's is a lovely song. They are amazing speeding in and out from the feeders.

My new robin well he's a strange one. He turns up every day for sunflower hearts. A huge dish of mealworms is there right in front of him and will he take one? No he just ignores them and eats sunflower hearts instead. :brains: Total confusion. He's suppose to go mad for them. My old robin did! This has been going on for ages. Maybe he's vegetarian? Maybe somebody needs to tell him he's a robin and suppose to 'love' mealworms. Tomorrow I will put the mealworms with the sunflower heart. Surely he must get the message then?????

It's great hearing about all your birds.

Happy birdies, Liebchen

Thanks Brian

How strange I was reading the exact same article last night in bed. Actually no its not that strange as Birdwatching is a good mag and I enjoy reading it.

I'm amazed by the article. Who would have thought that the Coal tits are doing it to avoid being robbed. I know they hide food but thought the reason being more to stock up and get them through the winter. I've seen them tucking sunflower seeds in our trellis on the garage. Amazing little birds aren't they. I love seeing them. One actually stayed around long enough yesterday for me to have a good look at it while it was clinging to the peanut feeder. They are very beautiful when you get a proper look and not just see a whizz.

Best Wishes to you too.

Liebchen