Magpies raiding a blackbirds nest
I remember talking to someone last year who had seen two blackbirds trying stop two magpies stealing the blackbirds’ eggs.
The blackbirds failed. The magpies won. The magpies took the blackbird eggs by raiding the nest
If this happens every year unseen by us then is it any wonder that blackbird numbers are falling.
Magpies have been raiding birds nests for years. It is a well known fact they skim along hedges raiding nests.
Two ways to help keep birds and birds eggs safe -
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Plant a Hawthorn hedge TO READ WHY HAWTHORN HEDGES GIVE PROTECTION CLICK HERE
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Put up nest boxes – Make sure the nest box does not have any perches. The exterior of a nest box is a dangerous place for birds. Perches on nest boxes encourage birds to rest outside the nest box and so make it easier for them to be seen by predators.
Novelty bird boxes may look nice, but the tried and tested bird boxes give a reliable nesting home to many birds.
Magpies are scavengers.
Here is a video of a magpie that came to my lawn
on July 22nd, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Hi.
I saw your article on magpies and thought I’d add my two pennorth. A few weeks ago my window cleaner said to me, “That egg was a bugger to shift from your window.” I was nonplussed. I started looking a bit closer at my windows and the garden and saw shell and yolks galore. I deduced that I was being targeted by somebody – not that I’m paranoid, but I could think of no other explanation. My neighbour’s house had been hit as well. After I’d called the police, and mentioned this to my neighbour, he told me it was magpies. They steal eggs, and try to carry them to their nests, dropping some on the way. I’m unfortunate to live on their flight path, damn them, and I’m sick of cleaning up their debris. Don’t know whether to get a stuffed eagle to mount on the roof or to adopt a more direct approach and get a twelve bore!
on August 6th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
Hi. Thanks for getting in touch. What a strange little story. Shells and yolks all over the garden!!
You must have a lot of magpies! I see them around here, but never see any broken eggs in the garden. I know they steal eggs and can fly along a hedge dipping into nests as they fly. Stuffed Eagle or Twelve Bore – mmmm – decisions, decisions!
But all those eggs show how much damage magpies do. How many young garden birds would have fledged if the eggs had not been stolen. How this must reduce the number of garden birds in your area. And as this goes on all over Britain it must be a factor in reduction of garden birds all over the country.
I think it is unique that you have this happen to you in your garden.
When I first read your letter thought it was partly a fun note, part joke. I couldn’t believe it. Thanks for sharing it with us. I may use it in the future when I see the RSPB talking about the decline in garden bird numbers. Trisha. Bird Table News
on April 4th, 2011 at 5:41 pm
I want to build a nestbox for blackbirds but i have a lot of magpies in my garden and i have seen them taking eggs and CHICKS . \\whats the best design please?
on April 7th, 2011 at 8:11 pm
Hi Anthony, thanks for getting in touch. I wrote about your problem on Bird Table News. Here is the link
http://birdtablenews.com/2011/04/how-to-build-or-buy-a-blackbird-nest-box/
on February 7th, 2012 at 9:47 am
I can’t believe how many magpies there are now. I used to see the odd one now and again but we have lost count how many are around now. The last two years they have raided every nest in my garden I dont think the blackbirds got any of there chicks last year and this year looks like the same. I have one blackbird that has nested right next to my conservatory door and I have tried to keep an eye on the nest only to go out this morning and find the magpie raiding it. How do you stop this ?
on February 8th, 2012 at 3:36 pm
How do you stop Magpies? The question used to be simple. People knew when the Magpie population was causing a problem and Magpies could be culled.
I agree they cause so much death and mayhem. They can skim through a hedge in minutes and take so many eggs. It is a pity we can’t film them doing this. I was walking in a park about a month ago and there were about 7-10 Magpies and no other bird in sight.
We have to combine together. We have to know the law.
This is what the RSBP say – http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/m/magpie/legal_status.aspx
RSPB – Legal control of Magpies
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/m/magpie/legal_control_methods.aspx
You could join Songbird Survival. I belong to Songbird Survival. They do a lot of work and study into the drop in bird population.
SONGBIRD SURVIVAL
http://www.songbird-survival.org.uk/index.html
We cannot always blame farmers and farming for the declline in birds. I live on a farm and we have always had a lot of birds here. Even going back to before the RSPB was formed I should think that every farm had a lot of birdlife.
So we can do certain things; Join Songbird Survival. Contact RSPB and tell them your story – ask them to put it on their website. Let as many people know that this is happening. Try and change the law?
I HAVE ALSO PUT THIS ON BIRD TABLE NEWS
http://birdtablenews.com/2012/02/magpies-raiding-every-nest-in-the-garden-and-killing-every-chick/
on April 12th, 2012 at 12:44 pm
A magpie is trying its hardest to kill my last remaining baby blackbird…. Ive saved it once when the magpie dropped it but it’s so distressing to watch.
on April 20th, 2012 at 3:06 pm
Kerry, I’ve replied and put this on Bird Table News
This goes on all the time, yet it never seems to be mentioned when there is talk about the decline in garden birds. Read the comment below -
A magpie is trying its hardest to kill my last remaining baby blackbird…. Ive saved it once when the magpie dropped it but it’s so distressing to watch.
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Why not join Songbird Survival. They say -
Rising levels of uncontrolled predation are ignored
Existing research is out of date and flawed
http://www.songbird-survival.org.uk/
Something has to be done