A friend for life...... I hope!
I've got myself a new mate.The only child of our local magpie couple has finally been evicted from the family. Yep.... it's one of those harsh realities of nature; out with the old and in with the new. There's going to be some new ones on the way soon and preparations are already under way.
So like every other magpie I've ever encountered I call it Mags. Won't know if it's a boy or a girl until it matures a bit more and thickens out...... and that can take a couple of years.
It's amazing how fast they learn and adapt. Only a month ago Mags was such a shy, timid thing who kept a yard or two behind the parents as they gobbled the mincemeat from my hand. Now I've got my new friend doing the same.... only now its earthworms, cockchafers or any creepy crawly I can find in a hurry.
Now I know Mags is more than capable of finding it's own tucker but I just can't help myself.
Perhaps I'm trying to form a bond.... and the bird sees me as a sucker who provides the meals. But I don't care.
And it may well come in handy if Mags is indeed a male and not far down the track he has his own family to support. Because when the time comes when he has to protect the newly arrived and defend his territory...... I hope he remembers me!
Yes..... that time of the year is fast approaching. Now I must say that the physical aspect of magpie attacks have never really bothered me..... it's just the fact that for some reason I'm a prime target. I've been on golf courses where there's been 50 players within a swooper's territory; and it's not amusing when 49 of them are falling about laughing while I'm trying to concentrate on my approach shot with a mad bird trying to knock me head off!
Even the placid bird down the road turns against me. Kids are happily walking to school, people are walking their dogs, going for a jog or enjoying a bit of gardening....... but that black and white missile has eyes for only me. Even the cyclists are laughing. I don't really want to drive the whole 400 metres to the shop to get my newspaper.
And I don't want to sound like I'm getting a tad paranoid but........
I've gotta go....... have to find some worms for my new mate.
Comments (57)
They knew me. They could understand me. Once, one of them flied away and disappeared. I cried heavily when facing the other one. Next day, that one flied back again. I felt that the world had ended but began again.
My birds are this species. Don't know how to name them in English.
Though I haven't seen them for nearly 7 years, I still remember their gestures, their countenance, their curious look, their combing their feather, their pecking the watermelon, their gentle singing, or their scaring scream when a cat came.
I duno that ur an animal lover!
Take care of ur birdie...
I knew that magpies were black in color yeah???
Go0d luck!
so make ur plans for ur common future.
try to find an 18 yo girl ... she'll be your 'friend' for life ... also, she can provide some benefits which, hopefully, you're not expecting from your bird ...
S:
Cheers bill.
I guess I should have explained a little more about the magpie (I just assumed there were varieties worldwide).
In a few weeks time the breeding season begins and the males get some hormonal change in the brain which can turn them extremely aggressive. Most of them are okay.... some are dead set crazy. But it is common knowledge that if ya befriend your local population, i.e. feed them, you are less likely to get ya hair parted down the middle when you're least expecting it.
I kinda talking about human-animal bonding. Like that lion Christian, who was raised by humans, then released into the wild where he adapted, yet still remembered the step parents later down the track....... and didn't have 'em for dinner.
But they really have it in for cyclists for some reason. People on foot will get attacked within 150 metres of the nest, whereas they'll get a bike rider up to 300 metres away. At least they've got a helmet.
maybe they confuse ur snoring wih the sound of the bikes engines,or ur haircut with a new kind of helmet
We have Kildeer here that are very aggressive defending their young ones. They nest in the grasses on the ground here and the young are tiny models of the adults. Some of those adults are downright mean!
There's nothing like the bonding of human and animal. :-)
I hope Australia can protect her birds. They are such wonderful things and it is a sad thing if they disappear one day.
just wake up.how is the step bird???ate lunch????u know some of these birds can talk,meaning they can say some humans words.if so,what will u teach urs to say???
Ya had me stumped with the killdeers....... had to google it up.
So they are plovers. We have a botanical gardens nearby with warning signs regarding the nesting plovers. I guess their behavior must be similar.
bird ain't no things .... they are beings, sweetheart (;
cheers.
What do you mean?
I consider myself a "thing" too...
Ummm not really human/animals are not things .... objects are things .... humans/animals are kinda more like beings rather than objects ... what u think babe?
u two r so in love,u make my heart melt.
cat ate ur tongue???
and I guess u would want billy to stay round his cow on your grass too right?
Ahhh ... this billy mate here ... he's got sooo many women and yet! none of them managed to hold him ....
he must be too hot to handle ... I WOULD JUST DUMP HIM FOR GOOD.
lol ...
Geez I dunno......
Those Newbie winters are very cold aren't they? I guess ya could warm her up with some of that "Screech"....... but then there's the chance she'd stagger off onto one of those icebergs passing by.
What a dilemma!
With friends like you....... who needs enemies!!
and feed me magpie!!