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Magpies Breeding In December. Normal? (1 Viewer)

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vigorniensis

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We have a woodland the other side of the railway cutting at the bottom of the garden. This leafless woodland has two old magpie nests (one of which was used this year back in April) and we have noticed activity the past couple of weeks in one of the nests. Weather has not been freezing and mild for time of year. Is it normal for magpies to breed in December and will the young make it?
 
Hi vigorniensis and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators.

I've moved your post to the Bird Behaviour forum, as I think more people with the knowledge will see it there (believe it or not, I don't - or very rarely - see Magpies here).

I also subscribed you to the thread so that you can find it easily. It's quite simple to unsubscribe if you wish). Meantime I hope you enjoy your time here with us.
 
Interesting observation. I recall seeing a bird carrying sticks to renovate a nest at Uwchmynydd one November day a few years ago. This was during an exceptionally mild period of weather. Once the temperature returned to normal activity ceased. I’ve never previously encountered Magpies exhibiting breeding behaviour in winter - it might be worth having a look in the Poyser monograph by Tim Birkhead or BWP for further information.

Good Birding

Andrew
 
Everything is possible in this warming world.

In the same context, see this House Martin feeding young in the middle of winter in Extremadura, SW Spain. The chicks were born last December. I think this one is a bit weirder because the species is normally a long-distance migrant wintering in sub-Saharan Africa. However, this won’t take anything away from the Magpies, because the weather in the UK is definitely harsher than in Extremadura.
 
Well here we are in February and the parents are still with the nest (if only I had a drone!!!). They have absolutely decimated the second nest in using the materials to bolster their own and there is always some repair work being performed by the male. How the nest has survived some of the gales through January is testament to their building skills as the nest at the top of the tree sways quite violently. I should imagine the birds must get seasick (lol) !!
 
Ditto, have had Magpies carrying “large twigs” into neighbour’s tree since the last week in Dec. :eek!:
 
Acrocephalus said:
Everything is possible in this warming world.

In the same context, see this House Martin feeding young in the middle of winter in Extremadura, SW Spain. The chicks were born last December. I think this one is a bit weirder because the species is normally a long-distance migrant wintering in sub-Saharan Africa. However, this won’t take anything away from the Magpies, because the weather in the UK is definitely harsher than in Extremadura.
Click to expand...
Also leads to the interesting bird age / plumage nomenclature of a 2cy half-feathered unfledged chick 3:)
 
Two magpies have been very busy today collecting nesting material from the garden. They are building (or touching up) a nest in a nearby conifer, same place as last year.
 
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