Is it a good year for corvids (particularly crows and magpies)

GinSoaked

Never seen so many grey crow or magpie fledglings as I have this year.

Is the lockdown anything to do with it. I know I normally see a good few crows killed at the side of the road at this time of year. Less cars on the road equals more crows?

The magpies fledglings are learning fast and are trying to eat the fat balls hung up for small birds and are regularly in the sheds upsetting the house martins.

magicbastarder

you're best not leaving fat balls out in the summer, they're really a winter feed for birds.

i wouldn't have said that i've noticed a preponderance of crows here this year; i think we did see an increase in magpies several years ago, but nothing extra really this year.

GinSoaked

I think we just have had a few pairs make nests near here so we see more of their young. But a few years back we had no magpies at all not a single one.

magicbastarder

we've a large birch in the back garden which magpies built a nest in last year but quickly abandoned. they nosed around it again this year but never actually settled in.