[nightshade]

The Magpie is an amazing bird I used to stalk one on a farm,if I carried a shot gun it would keep a tree bole between us and move around it working from top to bottom until it could fly away about 2ft above the ground with the tree as a shield,if I carried an air rifle it would work the other way leaving fast and high!
They examine the bird boxes everyday in the garden,the sheer temperament they can display when selecting twigs for nesting have had me in tears of laughter, I have seen co-operative efforts to the extent of holding "hands" to get at fat blocks,the attacking of fellow birds still intrigues me the one in my garden was broken up by my then kitten "Dusty"who landed on the back of the main antagonist and rode the much larger bird like a bucking bronco till he was thrown clear and the whole group fled calling abuse!
A world without them would be terribley grey!