Magpies

ThunderCat

Hi Guys,

Im relativly new to this, but anyway I have a bird table out the back garden that i put seed and bread on and i also put seed and bread on the ground for the ground feeding birds. A few Magpies come and eat the food I put on the floor. Now my question is this - should I encourage the Magpies to eat my seed stock as it might prevent them going after eggs from ground breeding birds if they are already full and have a regular source of food?? Or will they go after other birds eggs/chicks regardless. Ive only recently discovered that they go after other birds eggs so I wanted to know what the best course of action was now we are coming into breeding time for the wild birds.

On another note, a few days ago for the first time ever I saw a seagull chasing a blackbird. It was one of them huge feckers with the blackish wings. Dont know if he was after the blackbird itself or maybe the blackbird had something in its beak that the seagull wanted. They were both going at a fair auld speed anyway.

Mr. Presentable

ThunderCat wrote: »

Hi Guys,

Im relativly new to this, but anyway I have a bird table out the back garden that i put seed and bread on and i also put seed and bread on the ground for the ground feeding birds. A few Magpies come and eat the food I put on the floor. Now my question is this - should I encourage the Magpies to eat my seed stock as it might prevent them going after eggs from ground breeding birds if they are already full and have a regular source of food?? Or will they go after other birds eggs/chicks regardless. Ive only recently discovered that they go after other birds eggs so I wanted to know what the best course of action was now we are coming into breeding time for the wild birds.

On another note, a few days ago for the first time ever I saw a seagull chasing a blackbird. It was one of them huge feckers with the blackish wings. Dont know if he was after the blackbird itself or maybe the blackbird had something in its beak that the seagull wanted. They were both going at a fair auld speed anyway.

That'd be fairly unusual. Are you sure the black bird wasn't a jackdaw?

Magpies will breed more if you feed them, so in the long term you might actually harm the very birds you want to protect by feeding them more. Just leave them be, there's sod all you can do. Oh, it's not just magpies that eat eggs, fledglings, all crows and some others (gulls eg) do also.

ThunderCat

I thought I saw an orange beak as it flew past (twice) but at the same time I cant be certain either. It could very well have been a jackdaw I saw but my first impression was blackbird judging by its body type, tail etc.

In relation to the Magpies, I think I might just continue to put the food out and leave the birds to it. There is only one or two Magpies that eat in the garden and they are not that frequent a visitor either. Its just id like to prevent them taking other birds eggs and if them filling up on the seed I put out achieves it then all good and well but of course nature will always take its course I suppose.

jmkennedyie

I think it was Srameem referred to a study that showed wild bird populations were not affected when magpies were removed from an area. Habitat loss including lack of safe nest sites had bigger impact on populations than number of magpies.

For me, cats are much more annoying problem.

Also on autumnwatch(?) a few months ago was a cracking video of a sparrowhawk that caught a magpie in a back garden. Were tussling on the ground. Then sparrowhawk spotted bird bath recessed into the patio a few feet away, so dragged the magpie over kicking and screaming, and drowned him!!

gzoladz

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0Ycdt-agOA

jmkennedyie

Yep, not certain but that could be it all right. However, worth adding a little health warning: BBC warned that some people might find it disturbing, and they didn't play any audio. The youtube version has audio which makes it a bit more graphic.

It is amazing behaviour though.

johngalway

gzoladz wrote: »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0Ycdt-agOA

Fair play to the hawk. I suppose from the little birds perspective it's like one drug dealer taking another out!

doctor evil

gzoladz wrote: »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0Ycdt-agOA

Nature is red in tooth and claw, or in this case beak and claw.

gzoladz

jmkennedyie wrote: »

Yep, not certain but that could be it all right. However, worth adding a little health warning: BBC warned that some people might find it disturbing, and they didn't play any audio. The youtube version has audio which makes it a bit more graphic.

It is amazing behaviour though.

I did find it pretty disturbing to be honest. Just felt I had to share it as this was mentioned earlier in the thread.

TREVOR H

I wouldn't worry about the Magpies. Nature always finds a balance.
Sure magpies kill chicks and take eggs but that is only part of their diet.
Wood peckers take eggs as well but the country is excited now we have them breeding in this country again.
I put out seed, nuts and fat, it attracts all the 'nice birds' (24 species) in addition to rooks, jackdaws and magpies.
All are welcome
Cats kill a lot of birds and even squirrels (the nasty grey variety) take eggs.

Make sure to wet the bread before you put it out. It'll swell in the birds stomach if it's dry.

That's an amazing video of the sparrowhawk, we had one in the garden but it was unlucky in its hunting.