Ive just planted some lovely lilac Winter Flowery Pansies in two large containers,then today I saw a magpie sitting on the edge of the container,trying to pull a plant out with its beak.The same thing happend to me last year.Luckily I have some small sticks which I push in the earth round the plants, to keep them off.They do look unsightly though,does anyone have any other ideas to keep them off. :help:

We have recently been invaded by Magpies and we've noticed the difference.

All the small birds that we fed every day have disappeared from our garden.

Every morning they have been at the milk, often leaving dirt floating on the top.

To cap it all I have been working on the outside of the house and they just do not like me up that ladder, they screech and chatter to try to get rid of me.

Is there any humane way of getting shut of these incomers, they may look good on pictures but to have them as lodgers is no fun.

The first person to mention a gun will be the proud recipient of a 3 day ban.

Thanks.

Magpie's are one of my fave things about Sheffield and should be GREATLY encouraged, there's quite a few around here and I love listening to them squawk away..

If you want to worry about things scaring away other birds then get rid of the local cats.

I dont like magpies cos I only normally see them on there own - its bad luck to see just one:mad:

With the sounds of things they are probably nesting very close to your house and if they are you cant get rid of them.

Magpies, like rats, grey squirrels and foxes seem to have become mostly urban/suburban scavengers. We rarely see them here in the countryside.

However they are designated as an agricultural pest and the methods permitted to control them are listed here...

http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/hunting/inquiry/evidence/nfupestreports.htm#p8

Hope I don't cop a ban for linking to an official govt. website :(

Greybeard, a measured, accurate and careful response is always expected of you ;)

The first person to mention a gun will be the proud recipient of a 3 day ban.

Thanks.

A Gun!!! ;)

A Gun!!! ;)

Tony was first stop trying to claim the credit:hihi:

Damnit!! lol

i only said 2.2

I'm going to assume that now we have the humour out of the way we can get some sensible replies.

Any more and the holidays will be issued.

Thank you.

A bengal cat....

We had 5 magpies, she caught 1, now we have none.

The other birds are still here, she only goes for magpies and pigeons.

Going off topic, anyone been down to Browns Lock Stock & Barrell in malin bridge recently?

My Dad went away for a few days recently, on his return they opened the living room door to a magpie in the living room :shocked: It had got down the chimney (they have an open fire) and spent a few day's pooing allover the sofa and eating the fruit in the fruit bowl. Needless to say they were not impressed and spent two days scrubbing oot off everything. My dad say's he wished he had wrung it's bloody neck, but being the good soul he is they set it free.

If the time spent in the chimney were defined as "captivity", the release of this magpie would have been illegal.

Well it came through the chimney and flapped around the house for a few days, I think my dad just let it out before my elderly step mom had an heart attack

Magpies are one of my favourite birds...they are beautiful creatures however much they may become a nuisance...I've never had any problems personally so have to reason to dislike them.

When farmers shoot a magpie they often hang the corpse on a fence to scare others away. When my neighbour was having trouble with magpies in the garden she bought a lifelike plastic one and hung it by the tail on the clothes stoop and although they eventually came back, the magpies did clear off for a few months!

I had a magpie in my garden which woke me at the crack of dawn every day and had no problem confronting my cat for weeks on end. After what seemed like an age it left. I am convinced it was nesting and was only protecting its area. Be patient and it will hopefully leave eventually. Mine did. It was a pain in the a***, so I understand your dilema.

Going off topic, anyone been down to Browns Lock Stock & Barrell in malin bridge recently?

not for a couple of months .why?

It might not look very pretty but for a few days, tape some plastic carrier bags to the top of some canes and place around the garden.

I counted 8 of them this morning, as loopylu pointed out, they maybe breeding.

I'll try the old dead bird trick as Algy suggested and see how we go.

Happy but noisy days!

The local magpies are harrassing my hens, they are trying to get in the run to steal the food. Today the darn things nicked my egg from right under my nose :rant: I know they are classed as vermin and I can see why.. I am worried they are bothering the chuckies, how can I keep them away.. (I am not a good shot b.t.w) They only go near the run when the ladies are free ranging, and I do not want to have to keep them in the run all the time :(

Aparantly hanging cds keeps unwanted birds away, they don't like the shine. Don't know if this would work with magpies though!

Good luck!

the magpies would probably steal the CDs! just googled it and got this - http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf596053.tip.html

Well, it's war now. Earlier on a young magpie got its self stuck within the run trying to get to the layers pellets. It could not find the pop hole and was bashing into the mesh of the run, and the cat was jumping around on the top of the run all excited.
I decided to do the right thing and let it out(I had considerd dispatching of it), in the hope a close brush with a human may put them off comming into the garden. How wrong was I.
Bloody thing was a bit startled, so as I let it out it just flopped onto the grass and the cat jumped on it, three adult magpies started to attack me and the cat :o and all four of them flew onto next door garage roof AKAKAKing at us.
Anyway I have spent all night chasing them off the garden. They keep comming back and making loads of noise at us :mad:
It was just like a scene from 'The Birds'

The joy of being one with nature :lol:

Climb up the trees and eat their bloody eggs, see how they like it.

Maybe a remote water sprayer like thay use at side of fish ponds to scare of cats.
And no cds would not really bother them one bit only shiny thing they dont like is a bullet lol.

We also have a war going on, a blackbird has built in the apple tree and for the last 3 nights a maggie has been trying to steal the eggs. I send the dog out and it goes away but sadly not seen the blackbird today. So it may have got the eggs!

Afew years ago I was sunbathing in the garden when Basil cat brought home a baby maggie, it was alive but captive, suddenly we we bombarded by the parents, they were dive bombing me and the cat. I managed to get the baby off the cat and we escaped inside.. they are quite nasty but lovely to look at

The joy of being one with nature :lol:

Climb up the trees and eat their bloody eggs, see how they like it.

Your not kidding :hihi:
We must have really wazzed them off, they are pearching in the tree in next doors garden waiting for us to come out, when we do they sit on the fence akking .. :mad: may invest in a super soaker.

I know this is a pets forum and a magpie is a wildbird but my daughter has just phoned me with a problem regards a poorly magpie.
It has been outside her back door for 3 days and she has been feeding it but it will not go away and she says it looks really poorly and has a few feathers missing from its head. It looks like a fully grown one.
Is there anyone she can contact regards as what to do with it ?
I appreciate any help that can be given as i hate to think the poor little thing is suffering.
Thanks.

Whatever you do dont involve the rspca you will be signing its death warrent.
I speak from experiance.

Thanks for that Nikita , i was just about to phone them.

Contact these guys - http://www.voluntaryrescuecentre.org.uk/

I took a bird with a broken wing a few years ago, they know what they're doing.

Contact these guys - http://www.voluntaryrescuecentre.org.uk/

I took a bird with a broken wing a few years ago, they know what they're doing.

Thankyou very much . Will do it now , i will let you know what happens.

We had a scraggy looking magpie last year used to hang around our houses.He was almost human he would follow you to the shops sometimes walking at the side of you a real character i would be sat in the conservatory and he would just walk in past my dog and have a look around ,This went on for ages then he made the mistake of landing in the local school yard he was around the kids and caused a stir some were screaming, the headmaster called the rspca and then he was gone for good.Me and my neighbours all missed the little chap it really upset me.

Whatever you do dont involve the rspca you will be signing its death warrent.
I speak from experiance.
I second that they have a really bad reputation now it used to be good but all they seem to want to do now is get funds and free media attention

There was a time when magpies were kept as pets (not that I'm promoting the idea) so the notion of one wanting to hang around humans is not as daft as it sounds. Of course, if he's on ground level he runs the risk of being feline fodder so would be better of with people who know what to do with wild birds. A lot of people dislike maggies, but I think they are stunning birds, so hope he pulls through

Contact these guys - http://www.voluntaryrescuecentre.org.uk/

I took a bird with a broken wing a few years ago, they know what they're doing.

This would be my first port of call not the RSPCA
this man gives 100% care to each animal and works very hard to get them 100% back to health

There was a time when magpies were kept as pets (not that I'm promoting the idea) so the notion of one wanting to hang around humans is not as daft as it sounds. Of course, if he's on ground level he runs the risk of being feline fodder so would be better of with people who know what to do with wild birds. A lot of people dislike maggies, but I think they are stunning birds, so hope he pulls through

I had one for years make great pets. true many people dislike them and with good reasons too lol

Thanks for all the lovely stories about Magpies. They can be amusing birds but i have also seen the bad (tormenting of other birds) side to them. I wonder if this one has been kept as a pet then left to go free ?
Anyway the last i heard from my daughter 'Kerrie' she was told by the man at Woodseats to phone the rspca to catch it and then take it to him. I advised her to catch it herself and take it, but have not heard nothing from her since.

Bloody things are a nightmare up here, harrasing my hens, the cat and myself.
I was attacked by three the other week. Nasty buggers they are

If you wanted to get a corvid as a pet, where would you source one?

Not something you see in pet shops very often! :hihi:

If you wanted to get a corvid as a pet, where would you source one?

Not something you see in pet shops very often! :hihi:You would have to contact a breeder and the bird would have to be fitted with a RSPB closed ring to prove it was not a wild bird It would be ilegal to sell or buy such a bird with out one fitted you could try cage and avary mag most breeders are listed in there.How ever its not ilegal to own such bird with out a ring as long as it is never put up for sale but this can cause legal issues been there done that lol

My dad had a pet jackdaw as a boy, his friends still tell stories about it after 60 years, unfortunatly a neighbour poisoned it for messing on her windowsill.

The little tinker is as cheeky as they get. He keeps taking off (now he seems a bit better) somewhere and comes back everyday to see her for some food.
When he first arrived he seemed very bedraggled but is a lot better now. Its a mystery how he got into such a state though in the first place.

Just out of curiosity I thought I'd have a look around to see if I could find a crow/magpie breeder.

Found this...
http://www.birdtrader.co.uk/birds

Use the search on the right, amazing what you could pick up.
9 week old barn owl for £50?!!

I really hope there is some checking of potential homes going on....

there are magpies in the top of the tree and waking us every morning at 3am!!!

owt we can do to get rid:help::help:

there are magpies in the top of the tree and waking us every morning at 3pm!!!

owt we can do to get rid:help::help:

A 12 bore works well.

Ear plugs work well for us and our sea gulls :thumbsup:

Buy a peregrine falcon.

Or chop the tree down. Trouble is, even if you move this lot on, if it's a decent tree you'll probably find birds coming back year on year.

They're noisy buggers them magpies aren't they - I've got a couple living in the tree out by my bedroom window, but luckily they don't start at 3am, I don't envy you that one!

We had magpies in a tree at the bottom of the garden. I rigged up a spot light and shone it into the tree all night. It lit the birds up for the owls. They moved on after about 3/4 days.

Now we have loads of tawny owls. It is a far more soothing sound.

I cant imagine there too impressed that your there either. Im sure they would much rather you buggered off and were replaced by trees.

Nice legal air gun is the best way. If your a good shot its relatively humane

there are magpies in the top of the tree and waking us every morning at 3pm!!!

owt we can do to get rid:help::help:

Hi, No offence...are you a student or teenager perchance? I have a son who thinks 3pm is the middle of the night you see. :hihi:

Nice legal air gun is the best way. If your a good shot its relatively humane

thought about that,

this is the second year,they have come back we arnt into summer yet driving me mad,having windows closed all thru summer isnt good:(

Yup, shoot them or at least get someone in, like a licenced pest controller, to take them out.

We have them as well, really noisy, don't know what is worse, the magpies or the ring neck doves. The squirrels are quite vocal too. If I happen to wake up around dawn we have had it with the noise.

Put the clocks forward and get woken up at 4am instead.

I used to have resident Magpies, I hated the noise they made.

Apparantely an owl will keep birds away (so you'll risk having no birds but better than getting Magpies!)
Just stick a pretend owl in the tree and one in the garden or where ever. Am sure you could buy one from a garden centre.

Don't kill them. They have as much right to be there as you!

Don't kill them. They have as much right to be there as you!

But Magpies scare and kill all the small birds that would normally reside in a typical garden.

I would rather have noisy magpies, then noisy neighbours.

I would rather have noisy magpies, then noisy neighbours.

Pest control can take care of those also.

Don't kill them. They have as much right to be there as you!

Incorrect.

Incorrect.

Why incorrect?

But Magpies scare and kill all the small birds that would normally reside in a typical garden.

But that's nature isn't it....the falcons kill the pigeons and magpies.....the ospreys catch the fish.....the small birds catch the insects and grubs.....that's life isn't it?:)

But Magpies scare and kill all the small birds that would normally reside in a typical garden.

thats right we dont get any small birds to the bird table,iv had to stop feeding:(

Why incorrect?

The chain.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2080248_scare-away-magpies.html

Magpies are a protected species where I live, before you go shooting at them with air-rifles as has been suggested, or setting deadly traps, check the local laws.

A 12 bore works well.

Are we talking the birds or Geordies? 12 Bore works though :)

There are around 600,000 breeding pairs of magpies in the UK, and it is thought that every year each one kills an average of 22 songbirds.

They have now been classed by the government as vermin, and as long as the advice from the Depart for Food, the Environment and Rural Affairs (DeFRA) is followed, anyone is allowed to kill them.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/leicester/content/articles/2007/04/19/magpie_murders_feature.shtml

It's one thing to deal with them but if I found out anyone was arsing about with a gun on my urban street, shooting vermin or not, I'd be dialling 999 pronto.

There are around 600,000 breeding pairs of magpies in the UK, and it is thought that every year each one kills an average of 22 songbirds.

They have now been classed by the government as vermin, and as long as the advice from the Depart for Food, the Environment and Rural Affairs (DeFRA) is followed, anyone is allowed to kill them.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/leicester/content/articles/2007/04/19/magpie_murders_feature.shtml

Well if they're designated as vermin on account of the number of songbirds they kill perhaps it's time we started culling cats.

Well if they're designated as vermin on account of the number of songbirds they kill perhaps it's time we started culling cats.

Good idea :thumbsup:

Ear plugs work well for us and our sea gulls :thumbsup:

I would never impair my hearing for something lower down the food chain, anyway anything could happen whilst your deaf.

can the council do anything then if they are classed as vermin?

the lads at the top of our road have got a bird of prey....want to see it in full flight the pigeon's don't half shift.....we don't have no problems with flying rats...the bird see's to that....

Couldnt you destroy the nest while they are out flying around, so they have to go and make another one somewhere else? My neighbour did that, he just disloged the nest with a rake and it fell to the floor.

It's just nature doing its thing. Might as well moan about the dawn chorus. Kill the magpies and more will come. You can't kill everything you don't like. Learn a bit of tolerance. We have magpies out back of us, and owls. I don't have a problem with them.

cant be as noisy as the parrot in my living room :hihi::hihi:

can the council do anything then if they are classed as vermin?

I wouldnt imagine so. Hire a pest controller. They are licenced to shoot animals in built up areas and they will notify the police when they are on site so as to not create an incident when worried neighbours start ringing the police.

There are around 600,000 breeding pairs of magpies in the UK, and it is thought that every year each one kills an average of 22 songbirds.

They have now been classed by the government as vermin, and as long as the advice from the Depart for Food, the Environment and Rural Affairs (DeFRA) is followed, anyone is allowed to kill them.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/leicester/content/articles/2007/04/19/magpie_murders_feature.shtml

"I just like to think that every time I get a magpie, I might see another mistle thrush or blackbird. It's just nice to hear the birds singing and if I can help them I will carry on doing it."

What makes a thrush or blackbird worth more than a magpie? It's just our sense of aesthetics. There's no justification for it.

We've created an environment where magpies thrive, but some other bird species don't. We should just let nature find a balance, which it would if left alone.

I mean, what if it was the other way round, and magpies were becoming uncommon, but there were thrushes everywhere? We're imposing artificial values on a species which in my opinion, we have no right to do.

The OP reminds me of the woman who moved to the country village and complained about the sound of church bells waking her up. She ended up smashing down a 13th century chrch door and cutting the bell ropes! Or the bloke who moved to the countryside and complained about the smell from the neighbouring farm (which complaint, bizarrely, the court upheld!).

Idiots.

Couldnt you destroy the nest while they are out flying around, so they have to go and make another one somewhere else? My neighbour did that, he just disloged the nest with a rake and it fell to the floor.

the nest is in the top of the tree,not a thick tree,a large nest,dont know how to get rid of nest

I love bird song, but magpies are anything but musical, and I quite understand the OP's desire to move them on. We had the same problem, but luckily we were about to cut down the tree they lived in, so problem solved. The artificial owl suggestion is a good one - worth trying.

I would rather put up with the magpies than some complete idiot with a 12 bore or an air rifle shooting god knows what.
Now that is a reason to phone pest control, get a life and leave the poor birds to theirs.

I would rather put up with the magpies than some complete idiot with a 12 bore or an air rifle shooting god knows what.
Now that is a reason to phone pest control, get a life and leave the poor birds to theirs.

thankyou for sharing your views,unfortunatly when they are keeping you awake all night and being a pain then they need to be moved on,and so far no one has mentioned a 12 bore,also note i dont agree with cruelty to any animal,they will simple need re homing once the nest has gone.

Mod Note:

Thanks for all the suggestions for the OP, the thread is now closed.

Anyone having problems with magpies ? I was woke this morning at 4.30am with the loud chit-chatting they do,so I got up to see what was going on, and on the bungalow roof just
above bedroom window they were 4 magpies surrounding a ginger cat, the cat was terrified ! so I got the hose pipe and squirted them, they flew up ,the cat jumped down and
ran off and the magpies were flying after it, I couldn't believe it,so off I went back to bed
and lo and behold one of the rogue magpies came back and sat in the tree making its racket
so I couldn't get back to sleep! I'm hoping they are not going to do it in the morning,they sometimes do it in the middle of the night! I think thats when theres a cat around. anyway
rant over !

No problems with magpies here...they just rolled over and died on Sunday

Oh, sorry, not the sports forum.... :D

No problems with magpies here...they just rolled over and died on Sunday

Oh, sorry, not the sports forum.... :D

:hihi::hihi::hihi:

Back to the subject of the thread, I've been getting woken up by the early morning birdsong recently.
I don't know if its Magpies but it sounds like they have recorded a car alarm and just keep playing it over and over again. I don't have a hosepipe unfortunately so just have to put up.

unfortunately its the magpie breeding season (and with the mild wnter they may already have eggs) the ginger tom was after 'playing' with the chicks/eggs so mommy n daddy magpie with auntie n uncle decided thats not right so had a pop at the cat. its nature and the magpies are doing what any parent does when their children are being threatened

Anyone having problems with magpies ? I was woke this morning at 4.30am with the loud chit-chatting they do,so I got up to see what was going on, and on the bungalow roof just
above bedroom window they were 4 magpies surrounding a ginger cat, the cat was terrified ! so I got the hose pipe and squirted them, they flew up ,the cat jumped down and
ran off and the magpies were flying after it, I couldn't believe it,so off I went back to bed
and lo and behold one of the rogue magpies came back and sat in the tree making its racket
so I couldn't get back to sleep! I'm hoping they are not going to do it in the morning,they sometimes do it in the middle of the night! I think thats when theres a cat around. anyway
rant over !
Magpies are evil..the other day i saw one eating some baby birds that it had obviously stolen out of a nest, we have several squirrels come into our garden but they are terrified of magpies because they attack them.:mad::evil:

Anyone having problems with magpies ? I was woke this morning at 4.30am with the loud chit-chatting they do,so I got up to see what was going on, and on the bungalow roof just
above bedroom window they were 4 magpies surrounding a ginger cat, the cat was terrified ! so I got the hose pipe and squirted them, they flew up ,the cat jumped down and
ran off and the magpies were flying after it, I couldn't believe it,so off I went back to bed
and lo and behold one of the rogue magpies came back and sat in the tree making its racket
so I couldn't get back to sleep! I'm hoping they are not going to do it in the morning,they sometimes do it in the middle of the night! I think thats when theres a cat around. anyway
rant over !

Are we allowed to shoot them ?.

Are we allowed to shoot them ?.

No. Save your bullets for the chavs on street corners. Magpies are lovely birds, full of character. Unfortunately yours is a typical uneducated human response - 'oh I don't like something/something annoys me, lets wipe it out..' However, I do look forward to the day when we can do the same to the rest of the uneducated human race.

Iys not Magpies we have trouble with its collared doved keeping us awake !!

Magpies are evil..the other day i saw one eating some baby birds that it had obviously stolen out of a nest, we have several squirrels come into our garden but they are terrified of magpies because they attack them.:mad::evil:

Magpies do what they have to do. If they weren't eating the baby birds, something else would be; something would have to, since birds lay far, far too many eggs for all of them to survive. That's the whole basis of their species survival strategy; lay enough eggs, and despite magpies, cats, stoats and who knows what else gobbling up most of them, you'll still manage to get one or two of them become viable breeding adults.

This is little compensation when you have to sit and watch a magpie pecking a small baby bird to death in plain sight. Knowing that it's perfectly natural, doesn't stop you feeling horrified by it.

No. Save your bullets for the chavs on street corners. Magpies are lovely birds, full of character. Unfortunately yours is a typical uneducated human response - 'oh I don't like something/something annoys me, lets wipe it out..' However, I do look forward to the day when we can do the same to the rest of the uneducated human race.

You are entitled to your opinion , but you still have not answered my question ,
Can we shoot em ?.

Magpies may be shot or trapped legally under general licence, but for most of us, these two methods are impractical. Though magpies may become tame and confiding in certain areas, they are quick to disappear at the sight of a gun, and are notoriously difficult to shoot.

http://www.birdcare.com/birdon/birdcare/tipsheets/magpies.html

You are entitled to your opinion , but you still have not answered my question ,
Can we shoot em ?.

The police tend to be unhappy about anyone discharging a firearm for any reason, in public. I don't know if magpies are classed as vermin and therefore at liberty to be freely killed off; I wouldn't recommend doing so by taking pot-shots at them. You're liable to get in police trouble, even if you can't actually be prosecuted for it.


Which is a roundabout way of saying "I don't know." :hihi:

Magpies are supposed to bring luck - unless you see one on its own. If anybody is superstitous. Doesn't anybody know the rhym.

Iys not Magpies we have trouble with its collared doved keeping us awake !!

I dont think Collared Doves are protected, I may be wrong though. They are more challenging to kill due to their ridiculously tiny head dimensions.

I dont think Collared Doves are protected, I may be wrong though. They are more challenging to kill due to their ridiculously tiny head dimensions.

Collared doves are unlikely to have any specific protection as they have only been in the UK for about 60 years since about 1955 I think, but if you harm them and are caught There will be some legislation that will protect them but not them specifically.
Anyway you lot think you've got troubles the tree in our garden that comes within 3 feet of our bedroom window is home to a couple of Tawny owls believe me they don't just Twit to woo. Their main call throughout the breeding season is a loud KEK KEK KEK interspersed with the more well known To wit to woo.
Learn to live with it it's usually only a problem in the breeding seasons

Magpies are supposed to bring luck - unless you see one on its own. If anybody is superstitous. Doesn't anybody know the rhym.

I know of at least twelve such rhymes, and can quote two of them. Most have been all but obliterated since a certain TV series decided to use one particular version as its theme tune.

No. Save your bullets for the chavs on street corners. Magpies are lovely birds, full of character. Unfortunately yours is a typical uneducated human response - 'oh I don't like something/something annoys me, lets wipe it out..' However, I do look forward to the day when we can do the same to the rest of the uneducated human race.

I think you will find alot of naturist do not like magpies to put it "mildly" one you might know is Bill Oddy i would not call them uneducated

I think you will find alot of naturist do not like magpies to put it "mildly" one you might know is Bill Oddy i would not call them uneducated

I think you mean "naturalists" ... to the best of my knowledge, Bill Oddie is not a naturist, and I really don't want to have to imagine him being one.:gag:

How lucky you are having owls near your house, but then again if you cant get no sleep then its no comfort. Magpies are beautiful birds and I love to see them as there are loads around where I live including foxes and squirrels. I love them all and would not want to see any of them shot.

I do know that the nature of a magpie is meant to be a nasty one but that is how nature made these creatures. Our bedroom window is about 10 feet from some trees and we have a magpie which goes at it all morning from about 4am and to tell you I love to hear it but my partner swears he is going to get a gun and shoot the bloody thing, his words not mine. I dont mind the nosies all these creatures make as I think we are lucky to be living on the edge of a big city and still be able to enjoy all these lovely sounds, ohhhh we have bats too, they do frighten me but I wouldnt hurt them as they are too a protected species.

Try to enjoy these animals before they are wiped out.

Lisa33

Anti Squawking Bird Order (ASBO) anyone?


I'll get me coat.....:|

I think you mean "naturalists" ... to the best of my knowledge, Bill Oddie is not a naturist, and I really don't want to have to imagine him being one.:gag:

Ups:hihi::hihi::hihi:

Last year i watched 3 Maggies rip to pieces a Starling in my garden.
Very gruesome show,they were pulling it's insides out and devouring them.
Put me reight off my cucumber sandwich.

I think its fair to say and ive found it to be true, is were magpies are there are very few other birds, there is loads of magpies were i live and they are vicious, but as been said that is nature

:hihi::hihi::hihi:

Back to the subject of the thread, I've been getting woken up by the early morning birdsong recently.
I don't know if its Magpies but it sounds like they have recorded a car alarm and just keep playing it over and over again. I don't have a hosepipe unfortunately so just have to put up.

It'll be a starling, they're very good mimics. Round here we've heard them imitating car alarms, ringtones, bicycle bells and the even the "whooping" sound our old guinea pig made. Used to drive the poor guinea pig into a frenzy :hihi:

If you are annoyed about not getting a night’s sleep, think about all the noise you make in the day which is forcing the birds to become nocturnal.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6591649.stm

It'll be a starling, they're very good mimics. Round here we've heard them imitating car alarms, ringtones, bicycle bells and the even the "whooping" sound our old guinea pig made. Used to drive the poor guinea pig into a frenzy :hihi:

Starlings don't mimic, that’s song thrushes. You can whistle a tune at them and they will sing it back to you.

Songthrush
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/s/songthrush/index.asp
Its habit of repeating song phrases distinguish it from singing blackbirds.

Starling
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/s/starling/index.asp

The Magpie population is growing at a silly rate and is out of control. They are responsible for the decline in numbers of many British songbirds.

Think how often and how many magpies you see everyday now. Then think back so 10 or even just 5 years, they were nowhere near as common.

The Magpie population is growing at a silly rate and is out of control. They are responsible for the decline in numbers of many British songbirds.

Think how often and how many magpies you see everyday now. Then think back so 10 or even just 5 years, they were nowhere near as common.

Magpies are not out of control, they are just more noticeable due to their size and colour and being pretty unique in the UK. They are more common in cities due to being both omnivorous and scavengers. Dirty cities with fast food in abundant supply is perfect for them.

The Magpie population has increased by more than 100% in recent years.

The Magpie population has increased by more than 100% in recent years.

No thay have not.

RSPB: Until the mid-19th century, magpies were very common in Britain and were popular with farmers because they eat harmful insects and rodents. But from then until the First World War, heavy persecution by gamekeepers caused their numbers to plummet.

Since World War II, magpie numbers have increased. Their numbers trebled from 1970 to 1990, since when they have become more stable. Urban and suburban magpies increased much faster than rural populations. In towns they are not persecuted, there is more food available, magpies will nest close to people, which protects their nests from crows, and they can breed earlier in the year because towns are warmer than the surrounding countryside.

Urban magpies will use artificial nest sites and nest materials, and will take food from bird tables, sometimes storing it in man-made structures such as gutters and eaves.

Factors that normally limit magpie populations are lack of nesting territories and high mortality of young birds. The relatively stable population since 1990 suggests that magpies have reached an ecological equilibrium.

Ref: http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/m/magpie/population_changes.asp

By recent years I meant the last 30 which has seen 112% increase in numbers.

No thay have not.

RSPB: Until the mid-19th century, magpies were very common in Britain and were popular with farmers because they eat harmful insects and rodents. But from then until the First World War, heavy persecution by gamekeepers caused their numbers to plummet.

Since World War II, magpie numbers have increased. Their numbers trebled from 1970 to 1990, since when they have become more stable. Urban and suburban magpies increased much faster than rural populations. In towns they are not persecuted, there is more food available, magpies will nest close to people, which protects their nests from crows, and they can breed earlier in the year because towns are warmer than the surrounding countryside.

Urban magpies will use artificial nest sites and nest materials, and will take food from bird tables, sometimes storing it in man-made structures such as gutters and eaves.

Factors that normally limit magpie populations are lack of nesting territories and high mortality of young birds. The relatively stable population since 1990 suggests that magpies have reached an ecological equilibrium.

Ref: http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/m/magpie/population_changes.asp

I used to get crows, magpies and some other smaller crow like bird (rook, I dunno) feeding in my garden dahn sowf. The speed that the sparrows, starlings etc left when they arrived was hilarious! They like fruit, it would seem from those days :thumbsup:

Watching the birds feed was one of my favourite passtimes then, I still enjoy going to sleep to birdsong, I find it very relaxing :cool:

More gamekeepers i say

The Magpie population is growing at a silly rate and is out of control. They are responsible for the decline in numbers of many British songbirds.
Think how often and how many magpies you see everyday now. Then think back so 10 or even just 5 years, they were nowhere near as common.

Really? Not modern farming methods, increased traffic, more domestic cats, modern housing that excludes nest space, less natural hedgerows...etc etc

By recent years I meant the last 30 which has seen 112% increase in numbers.

Where exactly are you getting these figures from?

Where exactly are you getting these figures from?

The RSPB will tell you that magpie numbers trebled between 1970 and 1990 (I asume that's where serapis got the numbers from) ... so they did explode *recently*, but they were bouncing back from a long way down.

Magpies do eat the chicks of other species, but they do not eat those species into extinction. If they did, they'd be cutting off their own food supply and going extinct. Only a small fraction of a magpie's diet consists of ripping baby bluetits to shreds.

More gamekeepers i say

Gamekeepers are the lowest of the low in my book.

The RSPB will tell you that magpie numbers trebled between 1970 and 1990 (I asume that's where serapis got the numbers from) ... so they did explode *recently*, but they were bouncing back from a long way down.

I think you mean boyface.

Watching 4-5 magpies terrorising a cat is highly entertaining. The magpies can't get too close or the cat will get them, so they stay just out of reach and work as a team to torment the cat, which shows a certain amount of intelligence. Even though the cat is the predator, it eventually has to leave.

I think shooting a gun at 4.30am to miss the magpies will wake a lot more people up than their sqwarking :huh:.

Gamekeepers are the lowest of the low in my book.

Will you tell me why you have that opinion

Will you tell me why you have that opinion

Here..

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article3795537.ece

Here...

http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/details.asp?id=tcm:9-199217

Here..

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/gamekeepers-want-to-kill-birds-of-prey-598863.html

and here...

http://news.scotsman.com/birdsofprey/Gamekeeper-keeps-his-job-despite.2558504.jp

And that's just for starters. I wouldn't cross the road to pee on a gamekeeper if he was on fire. Absolute scum, the lot of em.

Here..

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article3795537.ece

Here...

http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/details.asp?id=tcm:9-199217

Here..

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/gamekeepers-want-to-kill-birds-of-prey-598863.html

and here...

http://news.scotsman.com/birdsofprey/Gamekeeper-keeps-his-job-despite.2558504.jp

And that's just for starters. I wouldn't cross the road to pee on a gamekeeper if he was on fire. Absolute scum, the lot of em.

Generalising an entire industry on the actions of 4 is pretty silly.

are you including farmers, shepherds and us so called ordinary folk we all have links to killing birds, pigs, cows, etc etc and eating them of all things

Generalising an entire industry on the actions of 4 is pretty silly.

I did say that's just for starters. Do a google search for 'gamekeepers birds of prey'. I've also met/known a few which has also helped to shape my views.

are you including farmers, shepherds and us so called ordinary folk we all have links to killing birds, pigs, cows, etc etc and eating them of all things

There is a difference between killing animals for food (although I'm sure vegetarians would disagree with me about this) and wholesale inhumane slaughter of mammals and bird species just to help put a few more coffers in the kitty.

I did say that's just for starters. Do a google search for 'gamekeepers birds of prey'. I've also met/known a few which has also helped to shape my views.

Well unless you know firsthand of these kinds of acts by at least 51% of the gamekeeper population you cannot make such a sweeping accusation.

What you are saying is no different to, all catholic priests abuse young boys, all MP's fiddle their expenses, all Palestinians are suicide bombers or all policeman are crooks.

What you are saying is no different to, all catholic priests abuse young boys, all MP's fiddle their expenses, all Palestinians are suicide bombers or all policeman are crooks.
That's an awful thing to say, not all Palestinians are suicide bombers !

That's an awful thing to say, not all Palestinians are suicide bombers !

It's not actually being said .. just used to make a point.

That's an awful thing to say, not all Palestinians are suicide bombers !

:D:D:D

Don't worry, I got it..!

Where exactly are you getting these figures from?

Apologies, I should have linked. The figures are from a RSPB report which I can't find right now but it's documented in this BBC article:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7316384.stm

They are the same figures you reported in all but number.

Well unless you know firsthand of these kinds of acts by at least 51% of the gamekeeper population you cannot make such a sweeping accusation.

What you are saying is no different to, all catholic priests abuse young boys, all MP's fiddle their expenses, all Palestinians are suicide bombers or all policeman are crooks.

Well, whatever you say won't change my opinion. I know what I know. I am prepared to accept that somewhere there may be the odd gamekeeper who goes about his job honestly and doesn't habitually commit wildlife crimes, but I've yet to come across one or hear about one.

I think magpies are lovly creatures and would certainly welcome more.

Starlings don't mimic

Yes they do.

Try googling for examples.

I think magpies are lovly creatures and would certainly welcome more.

Based on what, aesthetics alone?

The same mentality that would support a ban on fox hunting yet swat a fly without a second thought.

As long as everything is pretty for you, that’s all that counts, right?

Magpies are causing a lot of noise in a morning, and pecking loudly on my bedroom window every morning.

Magpies are causing a lot of noise in a morning, and pecking loudly on my bedroom window every morning.

You should probably kill them. With sharp stones. That will tell 'em.

You should probably kill them. With sharp stones. That will tell 'em.

I dont like Magpies at all.I think they are very aggressive birds.

Hence why sharp stones at the right angle with a flick of the wrist is a justifiable option.

There was some sort of magpie drama outside my window the other day at 4am for about an hour. Very, very loud.

I'm in two minds about them, as they are rumoured to do some fairly nasty things, but they're also quite pretty and clever as birds go.

There was some sort of magpie drama outside my window the other day at 4am for about an hour. Very, very loud.

I'm in two minds about them, as they are rumoured to do some fairly nasty things, but they're also quite pretty and clever as birds go.

They are rumoured to peck the eyes out of young chicks in the nest.