What quoth the magpie?
I like magpies.
I know magpies have a reputation for being pesky, but I still do a double-take when I see one fly by with its bold pattern and long tail. It gives me a little thrill, like I was back in Africa logging birds onto my life list.
I was hiking the bluff this past weekend, when I encountered an apparent magpie family spat. Or perhaps it was a turf war. Anyway, about a half-dozen birds were hollering at each other and flying around.
I don’t know if I looked suspiciously magpie-like, but one landed in a tree near me and gave me the birdie-eye.
Too late, I activated the zoom on my camera.
Magpies are corvids, among a group of very smart birds.
Here’s my favorite shot.
If these guys could speak, what would they say about the scenery?
Copyright 2010 by Katie Bradshaw
I enjoyed the magpies in Park City, Utah–they used to escort me when I walked to work!
Magpies are awesome. There haven’t been any around our place for the last few years. I miss them. They are so incredibly smart and fun to watch. Thanks for the post! I always worry about how certain species are faring when I don’t see them for a couple years.
I have never seen magpies before. I thought those black and white birds in the window-cleaner commercial were crows with white added for some reason.