Pesky Magpies

Jenny Wren1 · #1 (**permalink**) 23-04-2009, 07:50 PM

Short of shooting the blighters has anyone any idea how to get rid of Magpies. They are making my life a misery. I used to enjoy lots of birds in my garden and now, nothing. From some quirk of fate I have Blue Tits nesting (see my other thread) but nothing else, not even Starlings. I even caught one today pinching a tadpole out of the bath full my grandson has in my garden. They are about 3 foot from my front door. I miss my birds so much.

Steve_In_Cheshire · #2 (**permalink**) 23-04-2009, 07:56 PM

Bang on the window everytime you see one as they spook very easily, has your son got a water gun ? The more you make it difficult for them then they will be really wary of entering your garden.

Also try and not leave large chunks of food lying around like big pieces of cheese as they are greedy beggers and will go for the biggest, tastiest thing they can find. Any ground feeders try and get some of those guards over the top that only allow small birds in.

Jenny Wren1 · #3 (**permalink**) 23-04-2009, 08:26 PM

Will try the water pistol. Have tried the cage over the ground feeders but the birds are not even venturing near my garden, not even the Robin I used to feed with meal worms from the fishing shop. hey ho

JB9302 · #4 (**permalink**) 23-04-2009, 10:17 PM

One bird that does consistently well is the Magpie , its clever/bold/fearless and doesn"t have much in the way of competition and will and does take almost anything thats available to eat including small bird/eggs/nestlings .
Whats going to eat the Magpies ? , I went on a walk last week and saw 25/30 in 15mins along with the Crows they were mingling about with the Sheep/Lambs and were feasting on the dead carcase of a lamb .
I dont mind having a couple visit the garden but I know they can have an impact on smaller birds if they get the opportunity .
Dont think they are subject to much predation themselves , this together with their wide ranging diet makes for an abundance of them .

Matt_IOM · #5 (**permalink**) 23-04-2009, 10:31 PM

Fortunately, everything in the garden here seems to get on with the 3 or 4 Magpies that invariably spend the day here. It's the Rook and Jackdaw visits that scare everything away... Oh, and the Sparrowhawk that lives in the copse across the road!

Best wishes,
Matt.

ron1863 · #6 (**permalink**) 23-04-2009, 10:52 PM

We have Magpies, Crows and Rooks visiting our garden daily and it hasn't put the smaller birds off at all. The larger birds can't use the feeders but usually just scratch about at their base for spilled food.

Pippa · #7 (**permalink**) 24-04-2009, 05:22 AM

Have to say that back home there was an abundance of Magpies but i also had an awful lot of birds come in.Here there are only a handful of Magpies but the Crows turn up instead and still i have many small birds coming to my feeders.

wildherbalian85 · #8 (**permalink**) 24-04-2009, 05:53 AM

Encourage the crows and the magpies will go

Jenny Wren1 · #9 (**permalink**) 24-04-2009, 08:14 PM

Thanks to all, bin watching more the last few days, totally got it wrong, blame the cat next door, got a lassoo anyone. My husband thinks I have lost the plot, no I aint just the cuffin gun lol. Had lots of ideas; water pistol, hose pipe, barbed wire. Will take a photo tomorrow to show you the location of the nesting box .