What birds (are you/have you been) watching? What birds have been watching you?

[gradus]

Correct. The eye-witness account describes the birds surrounding the hares and two magpies attacking from flight. Gruesome and a true 'murder of magpies'.

[Richard Tarleton]

Ref the magpie flurry above our local paper, the East Anglian Daily Times, has published several letters this week about the huge increase in magpie numbers in parts of Suffolk and the consequent serious reduction in songbirds but to my surprise and perhaps the surprise of others too, today a letter has appeared that describes magpies killing hares both adult and juvenile. I wonder if this has been seen in other parts of the country?

You need to look at who is sending these letters.

There isn't a "consequent decline in songbirds". The decline in songbirds is not down to magpies. Habitat loss, factors affecting migrant birds before they even get here.....

Magpies taking adult hares - for goodness' sake. Eagles (in W Europe, Golden, Booted, Bonelli's) take hares. I suppose a female goshawk could, though that would be a stretch. Might a magpie attempt newborn hares, left unattended? I suppose that might be possible. Perhaps someone saw a magpie eating a hare that was dead for some other reason. The best thing with this sort of correspondence is to sigh, and move on.

[Richard Tarleton]

Correct. The eye-witness account describes the birds surrounding the hares and two magpies attacking from flight. Gruesome and a true 'murder of magpies'.

Though I do see that brown hares are being affected by a myxomatosis-type illness. A flock of corvids on a sick animal is possible.

[gradus]

You need to look at who is sending these letters.

There isn't a "consequent decline in songbirds". The decline in songbirds is not down to magpies. Habitat loss, factors affecting migrant birds before they even get here.....

Magpies taking adult hares - for goodness' sake. Eagles (in W Europe, Golden, Booted, Bonelli's) take hares. I suppose a female goshawk could, though that would be a stretch. Might a magpie attempt newborn hares, left unattended? I suppose that might be possible. Perhaps someone saw a magpie eating a hare that was dead for some other reason. The best thing with this sort of correspondence is to sigh, and move on.

I suppose it might be vested interests - gamekeepers or the owners of shoots making up stories and writing letters to the local paper - but I am more inclined to believe that they would take matters into their own hands and not tell anyone. Obviously one chooses to believe or not but I think it is an account of an event witnessed by someone interested in wildlife and concerned by the increase in magpie numbers and the decline in songbird populations and some mammals. I am afraid I can't cut and paste the actual letter for you to judge for yourself.

[jayne lee wilson]

You need to look at who is sending these letters.

There isn't a "consequent decline in songbirds". The decline in songbirds is not down to magpies. Habitat loss, factors affecting migrant birds before they even get here.....

Magpies taking adult hares - for goodness' sake. Eagles (in W Europe, Golden, Booted, Bonelli's) take hares. I suppose a female goshawk could, though that would be a stretch. Might a magpie attempt newborn hares, left unattended? I suppose that might be possible. Perhaps someone saw a magpie eating a hare that was dead for some other reason. The best thing with this sort of correspondence is to sigh, and move on.

Excellent post RT, thank you.... too many people read such reports and never even check the RSPB website which has much useful info about such matters....
Poor old Magpies. Unjustly demonised. I love, feed and encourage them (as I do feral pigeons... everyone welcome!)... striding across the stubble last eve, at least 20 Magpies suddenly arose before me.... Mistle Thrushes are often there too.... I was very heartened. A short distance away, a Grey Heron was feeding at a shallow muddy pool...Red-Legged Partridges clicking and ratcheting.... Pinkfeet high overhead heading for the estuary, Canadas lower, circling the area, mellower and more tuneful...

[Padraig]

Though I do see that brown hares are being affected by a myxomatosis-type illness. A flock of corvids on a sick animal is possible.

'Corvids' I had to look up Richard. What a great word for bringing together birds of a feather; I bet Hitchcock knew it well.

PS Magpies and grey crows compete for fatty scraps in our garden, magpies usually winning.

[jayne lee wilson]

Padraig,...You'll find similar pleasures in Accipiters, Gaviids, Anatids...
Your imagination is the limit...

Just made up a new one.....Charadriids... that's good isn't it? By Polonius....!
Oh....just googled... it already existed....never mind, it's still lovely!

Gavin the Gaviid, Knight of the Waters!

[Richard Tarleton]

Padraig,...You'll find similar pleasures in Accipiters, Gaviids, Anatids...
Your imagination is the limit...

Just made up a new one.....Charadriids... that's good isn't it? By Polonius....!
Oh....just googled... it already existed....never mind, it's still lovely!

Gavin the Gaviid, Knight of the Waters!

The Loons, or Divers - I love 'em. Thoreau....Walden Pond....

Stop me if I've told this story before - 30 years ago, when I was the go-to person for injured or stranded birds in my corner of NI, one of the Mourne Mountain climbing instructors turned up in my yard with a rucksack containing a bird which she said had crash-landed in the mist, in the heather, on the slopes of Slieve Donard. She had no idea what it was. Out of the rucksack came an unearthly wail. I knew what it was. I cautiously undid the rucksack - out came a dagger-like bill which slashed my hand. Blood everywhere, I told her to take it down to the shore (nearby) and release it. Hastily patched up, I followed - I got there just as the Great Northern Diver, aka Loon, restored to its natural element, was powering away across the water like a paddle steamer, none the worse for its experience. We used to get up to 24 off the coast on Dundrum Bay in autumn....

[Serial_Apologist]

Six Canada geese flew right over here a couple of hours ago in V formation, about fifty feet up - the first time I have ever seen such in this part of the world.

[Richard Tarleton]

Six Canada geese flew right over here a couple of hours ago in V formation, about fifty feet up - the first time I have ever seen such in this part of the world.

I took this photo recently of a mixed skein of Canadas and Greylags - how many of each can you see...answer below....



6 Canadas 4 Greylags....

[ardcarp]

What a great photo Richard. I've only just spotted it. Last Thursday afternoon saw some blue skies after much wind and wetness in the West Country. Mrs A and I walked at Shapwick Heath on the Somerset Levels. Many varieties of duck abounded, but especially widgeon with their rather charming peeping whistle. There was also a close-knit flotilla of coots (a group of around thirty) which we've never seen in convoy before. But the stars of the show were cattle egrets (standing on posts just poking up proud of the shallow lakes) and two great white egrets which were in slow majestic flight when we first saw them. They peeled off, and one landed and remained in view near the reeds for what seemed like most of the afternoon.





The photos are just to show the lovely, lazy, watery aspect of The Levels on a pleasant winter's afternoon. Birds are visible but only if blown up beyond clarity.

[Richard Tarleton]

That looks lovely, a really healthy looking wetland. Multiple cattle egrets very exciting - we get the very occasional one here, ditto great whites - I think those are yours standing against the reeds about an inch to the right of the shadow? Lots of little egrets of course - these ones, in a field near my house, are pretending to be cattle egrets

[gradus]

Glancing out of the window this morning I was delighted to see 2 blackbirds rootling about in the leaves, not a common sight here lately.

[oddoneout]

Caught a glimpse a couple of days ago of what I can only assume was a little egret. There are not that many pure white birds to choose from and although at first I dismissed this sighting as one of the white doves that live in the locality, when it took off I had to do a rethink as the flight pattern was wrong and also it suddenly sprouted a long slender neck. Trouble was, at the time I was in the car negotiating a troublesome bend so even if the bird hadn't disappeared into some trees I wasn't in a position to look more closely. There is a wildlife reserve very near by which is largely water meadow - living up to its name at the moment I imagine! - so that may be where it was heading. Access is a welly job at the best of times so going to see isn't an option for now.

[Pianorak]

A couple of Jays are daily visitors – as are a gang of Blackbirds, always squabbling, a few Magpies, numerous Blue Tits picking off insects on the box tree. The privet hedge seems to have been converted into a high-rise block of flats accommodating a few Dunnocks, possibly a Robin, and a female Blackbird. There are also a few Rooks, surveying the garden from a neighbouring roof, as well as Doves and Wood Pigeons feeding on whatever they find or dig up on the grass – snails, slugs, worms, insects? Squirrels and rooks seem to love chasing one another – never quite sure who has the last word. Not long ago I spotted a heron perching on the fence keeping a beady eye on the pond next door.