A magpie story: two years ago in June, a wind storm blew a fledgling magpie out of the nest at the top of the neighbour’s towering blue spruce. Most of its siblings were able to flutter to a new roost, but this runt was left behind in our yard with an injured leg and not yet able to fly. It was a perilous week that included hazing from unrelated adult magpies, hiding from the other neighbour’s cat, the local coyotes, and crows.
In the first few days I chased off a few attackers and shooed the little bird off the road and into the garden, but mostly left nature to take its course.
Last year I was heartened to notice that one of our resident magpies hopped with a distinct limp.
2/
This year, a pair of magpies has decided to built a nest in one of our cedar trees, *right* outside our window. I’m not ok with this - as anyone who has ever listened to a family of young magpies squabble with loud cracking penetrating adolescent voices will understand - but I bear them no ill will.
3/
I have been diligently breaking up the assemblage of sticks as they make it to encourage them to choose another tree - magpies will usually start multiple nests before settling on and finishing the most promising site - and as I do so I am noticing one of the birds hops with a distinct list over a slightly deformed foot.
4/
It’s heart-warming to know our tenacious little visitor has survived and is building a good life and a family of their own and I find myself wondering if the unusual choice of our cedar for a nest - only ~10 feet off the ground rather than the more typical 20-30 feet - reflects a remembered aversion nesting up high?
All the best you and your mate Hoppy.
5/f
Yeah they're noisy but I love having corvid families around. Watch them long enough and you get a sense of some real family dynamics.
One spring they came by our yard to have some peanuts and the kids were bothering momma magpie incessantly to feed them.
You could tell she had HAD IT OFFICIALLY because as soon as she found her moment - when the kids started playfighting amongst themselves - she snuck off quietly out of their sight so she could have a meal for herself. 😆
I quite enjoy them in general, just not outside my bedroom window at 4 am … I know from painful, sleepless past experience.
This baby bird is too cute. I CAN'T STAND IT. it's too much.
You will get no sympathy. Give the baby everything you own.
@futurebird @DavidM_yeg Seconded! Who could say no to that beautiful orb of floof?!
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