I had been feeding the birds in my garden for quite a few months, but sadly the food attracted rats. I guess that's always going to be a problem when feeding birds. Anyway, I stopped feeding them for a while, partly because I didn't want to attract rats, and partly because I'm having a lot of work done in my garden, which you can see from the wheel barrow and junk in the background.
But today has been so nice that I have been sitting outside most of the day. I had my old, not very high spec camera out to take pictures for a post I wrote earlier today. So I thought I would put out some food and see what birds came. I put out a trail of dried mealworms and along came this magpie.
As I only have a basic digital camera I wasn't even sure if I would get a picture, plus I was sitting only about 4 metres from where I had placed the food. I ought to invest in a decent camera, and I may do so if I get into it, but this basic one will have to do for now. it's better than my phone camera.
It wasn't easy to get these shots. he would let me watch him, he didn't mind too much when I moved my head, but as soon as I aimed the camera at him, he flew off. But eventually he stayed still long enough for me to get a few shots.
I think magpies are quite handsome birds, although this one looked a bit scrawny around the head, which makes me think he has had a narrow escape from something. The problem with magpies is that they like to rob other bird's nests of eggs and chicks. I had a blackbird nesting in the hedge in my front garden. I was sitting outside reading a few weeks ago when suddenly this magpie, I don't know if it was the same one, came out of the hedge with a blackbirds egg and proceed to eat it. The blackbird abandoned the nest after that, which is sad. But that's nature I suppose.
