Magpies and the positives of negatives.

[Snufkin]

The positives of negatives.

MAGPIES are not everyone’s favourite birds and they do have some bad social habits as well as being one of the most tuneless birds about. However there is a real bonus to having Magpies around. As an example, I am sitting in my uncle’s conservatory in deepest rural Suffolk and the gutters are leaking/overflowing badly. Where I live the Magpies do a very good job of clearing my gutters because they root around in the moss and debris looking for insects and in the process throw the accumulated debris on the ground. Consequently my gutters never overflowed but that was in a suburban part of Berkshire. Out here in the sticks the Magpies seem to be fewer and I expect the pickings are better so the gutters on his house have been ignored.

 

[TheDecameron]

Wait till they send you the bill...crafty corvus

 

[Vinny]

Plenty around here, just part of the way of things. They built a nest over two years in the beech but I am 99% sure they never used it and this year, crows have a nest in a conifer very close to the beech and they predate each others' nest, so don't tolerate one another. I strongly suspect that maggies had the goldcrests' nest from the conifer next to the drive, but they should nest again.
They do WAY less harm than the hoards of cats.

I have never seen any in the gutters, but the blackbirds do that job here.

 

[Ian G]

They steal birds eggs and chicks from the nest, reducing their numbers has benefits for the general song bird population.

 

[Vinny]

They steal birds eggs and chicks from the nest

True, and so do lots of other predators - I have stood and watched sparrowhawks do so, just as one example.

reducing their numbers has benefits for the general song bird population.

Not according to numerous surveys, and certainly not so much as making wandering cats illegal would.

 

[paulfromcamden]

I love any corvid really. I know people find magpies noisy but I love hearing them. Living amongst so much concrete pretty much any wildlife is a pleasure to me.

I sometimes spot a crow swooping down with a bit of old bread it's found to dunk it in the bowl of water we leave out for the foxes.

 

[Ian G]

True, and so do lots of other predators - I have stood and watched sparrowhawks do so, just as one example.

Indeed, I'm not that impressed with sparrowhawks in and around the garden, we've placed the Bird feeders in amongst the shrubs to protect the feeding birds.



Not according to numerous surveys, and certainly not so much as making wandering cats illegal would.

I don't have a cat, and I'm talking from personal experience in our garden.

 

[Vinny]

I'm talking from personal experience in our garden.

Somewhat localised effects then?
Overall the effect is insignificant. Songbirds produce masses of young - just one successful nest from a blackbird triples the blackbird population. Two-thirds have to die each year to maintain a stable population. Blackbirds start early and will normally do at least 2 clutches (essentially always 4 eggs).

 

[stevec67]

I like magpies and all corvids. My only objection to them is that they take over and chase off other species. I used to have jays living nearby, they were great but the magpies saw them off. The only thing I don't miss about the jays is their calls. You think magpies are noisy? Jays are like an avian Jeremy Kyle show.

 

[Sue Pertwee-Tyr]

Jays are Corvids, too, though.

 

[Vinny]

The only corvid we don't have around here are Choughs, all the rest we have in numbers (assuming that you regard hoodies as just a variant of the carrion crow).
Jays are extremely secretive - I reckon to hear them at least ten times as often as I see them. Dead easy to see if there is a good acorn crop, late in the year - I have watched them on a grass verge, collecting acorns, while waiting at traffic lights.

 

[Sue Pertwee-Tyr]

Jays wait at traffic lights?

 

[stevec67]

Jays are Corvids, too, though.

Yes, they are. Magpies don't care who they fight though.

 

[PsB]

I love magpies. We have several pairs around here. Such beautiful birds.

 

[Sue Pertwee-Tyr]

Yes, they are. Magpies don't care who they fight though.

One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a right royal bust up.

 

[Snufkin]

Yes, they are. Magpies don't care who they fight though.

They do defer to the Red Kites around my way but the crows don’t.

 

[stevec67]

They do defer to the Red Kites around my way but the crows don’t.

Yes, the crows to the north of Leeds gang up on red kites and chase them away, I haven't seen magpies doing the same. They're probably too busy starting a fight in my garden.

 

[mandryka]

My grandmother used to say that if you see a single magpie it’s a sign of bad luck, to ward it off you must treat it with great respect, say to it, “Good morning Mr Pie, you are looking very smart today if I may say so. You are most welcome in my garden. Please make yourself comfortable . . . “

 

[Suffolk Tony]

The positives of negatives.

MAGPIES are not everyone’s favourite birds and they do have some bad social habits as well as being one of the most tuneless birds about. However there is a real bonus to having Magpies around. As an example, I am sitting in my uncle’s conservatory in deepest rural Suffolk and the gutters are leaking/overflowing badly. Where I live the Magpies do a very good job of clearing my gutters because they root around in the moss and debris looking for insects and in the process throw the accumulated debris on the ground. Consequently my gutters never overflowed but that was in a suburban part of Berkshire. Out here in the sticks the Magpies seem to be fewer and I expect the pickings are better so the gutters on his house have been ignored.

Coincidentally, here in deepest rural Suffolk the guttering on my conservatory was overflowing & I've just been out in the wet & cold to unblock it. The people who fitted the guttering saw fit to fix the top of the downpipe using long screws which protrude right across the inner pipe and thus hold up a mountain of debris. We've plenty of magpies roundabouts but the filthy little swine can't be bothered to help a poor old pensioner out with clearing the gutters.

 

[Bob McC]

I hate magpies.
I love jays.

odd.