Unusual number of Magpies (1 Viewer)

[ChrisKten]

I saw something this morning (11:30am) that I've not seen before, well, never flying over my garden. I saw more than 20 Magpies flying together all flying south. They were in groups of different sizes, but all following each other, and obviously heading from, or to, the same place.

Is this normal, have I just never noticed it before?

I'm in London, UK.

 

[Xenospiza]

They can roost in large groups, which must be the explanation – although you wouldn't expect them to fly off that late!

 

[ChrisKten]

They can roost in large groups, which must be the explanation – although you wouldn't expect them to fly off that late!

Yeah, it just seemed a bit odd. Although I did notice a lot of Sparrowhawk activity in my garden, and locally at that time. There were also 2 Buzzards circling overhead, which I have also not noticed before.

It was a strange hour or so, there are always birds or squirrels in my garden, but not during that period yesterday. I think the longest time I've seen no activity is about 10 minutes, and that is after a Sparrowhawk attack. Yesterday the female Sparrowhawk swooped into the tree 4 times in about 20 minutes, but the tree was devoid of birds. She wasn't attempting to hide for an ambush either, as she immediately flew off each time.

 

[halftwo]

I saw over 15 together the other day - seems the season to form groups.

 

[DaveN]

I saw something this morning (11:30am) that I've not seen before, well, never flying over my garden. I saw more than 20 Magpies flying together all flying south. They were in groups of different sizes, but all following each other, and obviously heading from, or to, the same place.

Is this normal, have I just never noticed it before?

I'm in London, UK.

I've seen 23 Magpies together, not this year but it was in October some years ago. Post breeding flocks are quite common in many birds and round here Mistle Thrushes are regular in large flocks with sometimes 30 or more.

 

[ChrisKten]

Thanks for the replies, it seems it's not that unusual after all.

I just hadn't noticed it before.

 

[clayts]

I think magpies are given a poor press - I think they're stunningly beautiful birds close-up, especially their blue/green iridescent feathers, although they are very much the neighbours from hell, and that's just to the humans. They are so very noisy, with their machine gun rattles and their call and refrains, almost in stereo as husband and wife call out to each other. And okay, they steal eggs, so they're not that great for other birds.

But I'm always amazed by them - close up, they're comical - when I throw peanuts in shells out for the squizzas they are very crafty - they gather up a load, then hide them, only taking one at a time back to the roost. Then they come back and take another. And so on. The squirrels have cottoned on to this rascal behaviour, however, and wait for the 'pie to go, before pouncing on their stash, and stealing them.

Impossible to describe a 'baffled magpie' but their behaviour when they come back to discover their stash has been pilfered is funny. They prod around with their beaks as if the peanuts have somehow grown legs and moved a few centimeteres...

They do eat funny things though - some 'dog droppings' fascinated one the other day...mmm, tasty....

Sadly, I've rarely seen more than four together, and that's two rival clans in the woods.

They get short shrift from other birds, especially collared doves (they breed 'em tough up here).

I also like the way their whole body twitches and their wings flick when they call out. They also move along the ground in a very comical way - hops, steps, skips....

 

[ChrisKten]

I think magpies are given a poor press - I think they're stunningly beautiful birds close-up, especially their blue/green iridescent feathers, although they are very much the neighbours from hell, and that's just to the humans. They are so very noisy, with their machine gun rattles and their call and refrains, almost in stereo as husband and wife call out to each other. And okay, they steal eggs, so they're not that great for other birds.

But I'm always amazed by them - close up, they're comical - when I throw peanuts in shells out for the squizzas they are very crafty - they gather up a load, then hide them, only taking one at a time back to the roost. Then they come back and take another. And so on. The squirrels have cottoned on to this rascal behaviour, however, and wait for the 'pie to go, before pouncing on their stash, and stealing them.

Impossible to describe a 'baffled magpie' but their behaviour when they come back to discover their stash has been pilfered is funny. They prod around with their beaks as if the peanuts have somehow grown legs and moved a few centimeteres...

They do eat funny things though - some 'dog droppings' fascinated one the other day...mmm, tasty....

Sadly, I've rarely seen more than four together, and that's two rival clans in the woods.

They get short shrift from other birds, especially collared doves (they breed 'em tough up here).

I also like the way their whole body twitches and their wings flick when they call out. They also move along the ground in a very comical way - hops, steps, skips....

ATM there is a pair and a juvenile visiting my garden daily. They are in competition with a young Crow and 5 Jays for the peanuts in shells. Up to now the Jays are getting the most food, but the Crow has made itself at home and waits on the fence for the nuts to be thrown out.

Obviously all the birds are wary of the Crow but the Squirrels just charge through the garden to get to the nuts. The Crow has started to jump sideways, but it's becoming more bold.

The Jays are wary of the Magpies, but they out manoeuvre them often, The Jays are so acrobatic (or should that be aerobatic), they can spin on a sixpence. They also bounce off the fence and the wall.

The only food the Magpies seem to get unchallenged is bread that I throw in the bird baths. They will ignore dry bread but seem to love it soaking wet.

Magpies do get a bad press, the Jays seem to be ignored, even though they are just as guilty.

It's very hectic in my garden ATM, because of this the Sparrowhawks are visiting more than usual. If you look at my thread http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=122165 you'll see some new pictures of a female Sparrowhawk with a Squirrel, not eating it, just puffing herself up to warn it off.

 

[WiseOwl]

ATM there is a pair and a juvenile visiting my garden daily. They are in competition with a young Crow and 5 Jays for the peanuts in shells. Up to now the Jays are getting the most food, but the Crow has made itself at home and waits on the fence for the nuts to be thrown out.

Obviously all the birds are wary of the Crow but the Squirrels just charge through the garden to get to the nuts. The Crow has started to jump sideways, but it's becoming more bold.

The Jays are wary of the Magpies, but they out manoeuvre them often, The Jays are so acrobatic (or should that be aerobatic), they can spin on a sixpence. They also bounce off the fence and the wall.

The only food the Magpies seem to get unchallenged is bread that I throw in the bird baths. They will ignore dry bread but seem to love it soaking wet.

Magpies do get a bad press, the Jays seem to be ignored, even though they are just as guilty.

It's very hectic in my garden ATM, because of this the Sparrowhawks are visiting more than usual. If you look at my thread http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=122165 you'll see some new pictures of a female Sparrowhawk with a Squirrel, not eating it, just puffing herself up to warn it off.

Dont forget Tiddles the local Moggie, which for some reason never seems to be the villian:t:

They seem to run wild around here...people just abandon them, so there is a small population of the vermin where i am. In some countries, they cull them due to the devastating effect they have on the indiginous wildlife. But hey...its easier to blame the Magpie:C

Ever thought of trying to track the birds back to their roost site?

I remmember counting around 60 birds at one site near to meB

 

[ChrisKten]

Dont forget Tiddles the local Moggie, which for some reason never seems to be the villian:t:

They seem to run wild around here...people just abandon them, so there is a small population of the vermin where i am. In some countries, they cull them due to the devastating effect they have on the indiginous wildlife. But hey...its easier to blame the Magpie:C

Ever thought of trying to track the birds back to their roost site?

I remmember counting around 60 birds at one site near to meB

Yeah there are feral Cats here too, but I've been lucky, only 1 bird attacked. Obviously there have been more, but I've only had to take 1 Blackbird to the Vets, sadly it didn't survive.

I've described in another thread the layout of my area, but basically I live on a housing estate in London. I'm fortunate to have an unkempt area of land close to me, which is home to a lot of wildlife. There's also a number of very large trees (Plane or Oak?) where I believe many Birds roost. Perhaps I'll observe them more closely.

 

[clayts]

I have two families (well two husband and wife teams actually) who roost near me. They don't get along at all. Yesterday all four of them clashed during feeding time by the side of the wood, and one couple mobbed one of the others - very exciting to watch out in the open, as all I normally see is a lot of branch moving and leaf rustling as they go at it hammer and tongs under cover, emitting their machine gun rattle and squawking like bonkers crazy.

Been watching them again this afternoon, the two who live near me, and they are funny to watch.

Re: cats, the squizzas are actually very helpful to all the birds around here - when they hear the squirrel alarm call, the birds all vamoose up on to the branches, along with the squirrels. Having said that, I have chased several cats through the woods before now...

Lots of cats run amok around here - the tensest one was the standoff between a hedgehog and a moggy wot I hadn't seen before, just the other night. It was a score-draw in the end - the cat didn't fancy some prickly action, but the hedgehog wasn't to be scared off. Great entertainment, all without David Attenborough narrating. Something quite splendid about being able to witness these interchanges between wildlife in the wee hours of the morning : can't believe it's taken me 9 years (as long as I have lived here) to fully appreciate just what goes on across the path. Good for the soul....

 

[ChrisKten]

I have two families (well two husband and wife teams actually) who roost near me. They don't get along at all. Yesterday all four of them clashed during feeding time by the side of the wood, and one couple mobbed one of the others - very exciting to watch out in the open, as all I normally see is a lot of branch moving and leaf rustling as they go at it hammer and tongs under cover, emitting their machine gun rattle and squawking like bonkers crazy.

Been watching them again this afternoon, the two who live near me, and they are funny to watch.

Re: cats, the squizzas are actually very helpful to all the birds around here - when they hear the squirrel alarm call, the birds all vamoose up on to the branches, along with the squirrels. Having said that, I have chased several cats through the woods before now...

Lots of cats run amok around here - the tensest one was the standoff between a hedgehog and a moggy wot I hadn't seen before, just the other night. It was a score-draw in the end - the cat didn't fancy some prickly action, but the hedgehog wasn't to be scared off. Great entertainment, all without David Attenborough narrating. Something quite splendid about being able to witness these interchanges between wildlife in the wee hours of the morning : can't believe it's taken me 9 years (as long as I have lived here) to fully appreciate just what goes on across the path. Good for the soul....

It is indeed "good for the soul". It also makes you realise how lucky you are when you witness the struggle for survival up close.