More about the magpies that live around here...

Last year I put this photo on my blog which features a cheeky magpie checking out the dry food left in Eduardo's bowl. You can see in the photo that it was taken during the building work on the side veranda.

Last week I wrote a post about gardening and included some photos of the magpies that pick over the freshly dug soil looking for grubs. Well the magpies are getting extremely cheeky and bold. The other morning I was in the kitchen and heard the trilling warbling sound of a group of magpies nearby. I thought, 'How nice to hear them sing...I wonder where they are?' I soon discovered where they were! They were on the side veranda; some were on the floor near Eduardo's bowl and some were on the railing. His bowl was empty and that's what the singing was about! They had obviously expected some leftover dry food and were now demanding some! I responded to these 'demands' by grabbing my camera and taking photos.

Just before I took the photo the birds had just been singing with the heads back and beaks in the air

This one flew up on top of the BBQ hood

These flew up to the railings; a good vantage point should I have chosen to put more food in Ed's bowl

I think that the magpies are getting more pushy in their behaviour because over the years they have got food from my neighbour, Tom. As wildlife groups recommend that you don't feed the birds and animals in suburbia, I've never done it. Unfortunately age has got the better of Tom and he seems to no longer feed them meat etc. So there are a few generations of 'maggies' that have got used to handouts so that's why they are trying to steal from our cat. When Lina, my other cat, was alive there were never any leftovers in the cats' bowls...she wasn't known as 'Lina the cleaner' for nothing after all!! lol