Submitted by Gitie on 14 June, 2012 - 11:17
There are big changes in our backyard. Vicky our Mummy magpie for 11 years, suddenly gave up her nest to a newcomer.
Vicky, her mate Bertie and their two girls hung out with this newcomer for a few days. We thought the newcomer was a visiting guest. Then Vicky stopped coming for a feed with Bertie and her girls Shelly & Nelly (BSN). BSN would come by themselves and Vicky would come just once a day, fairly late and leave quickly after eating only a small bit.
Submitted by Gitie on 9 June, 2010 - 00:00
Our birds have rescued us from snakes on many occasions. Magpies, butcherbirds (both the pied and grey species), noisy-miners and others have all played a part at one time or another in keeping us safe. Most of the time we do not have a camera in hand to capture a photographic record of the event. But on a few occasions we have been lucky enough to be able to do so.
Submitted by Gitie on 5 June, 2010 - 19:40
In this picture Vicky magpie has just landed on the branch with some food for the young chicks in her nest.
The start of winter, i.e. June is the mating season for magpies. By July the early breeders will have laid their eggs which usually hatch 4 weeks later. The young hatchlings spend a month in the nest developing and growing before they fledge.
Vicky is a late breeder. She doesn't lay her eggs until September and it is well into October before we see her fledgelings.
Magpies tend to keep the same nest over the years unless it is destroyed in a storm or other extreme circumstances. But Vicky has changed her nest quite often.
The most remarkable time was when a few years ago she swapped nests with a crow. The crows nests are bigger and stronger and she immediately got to work to line and soften the inside. The crow on the other hand lost no time in reinforcing Vicky's old nest and making it more
Submitted by Gitie on 5 April, 2010 - 15:10
by Shirley Oelman
I have magpies that visit every now and then and would like to talk about them.
They first came calling regularly in late July 2009.
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17Oct 09, 10:01am Warbling so beautiful
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At first I ignored them, then, as they seemed so insistent I went out outside to check out the noise.
There were 5 to start with and the numbers dwindled to 2 from November. I threw out onto the ground minced steak, multi grain bread and some varieties of fruit & veg, plus crushed up biscuits. There is always 2 lots of water for them. One of the magpies loved grapes. The other one would not touch them. If I ignored their call one would come up to my front door and call, then stand and wait looking at the door. When I stepped out it (the darker, taller one) ran away a short distance until I called it and dropped food and then it came within 4 foot of me and ate. The light grey one always kept back and never came too close.
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There are big changes in our backyard. Vicky our Mummy magpie for 11 years, suddenly gave up her nest to a newcomer. 
In this picture 
