Are Magpies Their Own Worst Enemy?

[A1WOC 212]

Those who know me also know I live in a rural area of a large town. Most mornings as I sit up in bed watching the news on the TV; as I do, I occasionally divert my eyes to scan around the trees and open fields visible through the open window. I have a pair of binoculars close to hand and frequently enjoy watching the local wildlife in a beautiful natural setting.

 

Over the years I have kept the local magpie population in check to give the songbirds a better chance of survival. This year there’s been an excessive number of magpies, perhaps due to the long warm summer we’re currently enjoying; and although its nature, I’ve witnessed an increase in nest robbing and fierce competition for territory by the abundance of young magpies; perhaps as a result of the long warm summer we are currently enjoying.

 

This morning as I sat up in bed watching TV, I commented to my wife that I hadn’t seen any magpies for a few days. Lo and behold! One settled in a neighbour’s tree. Although I have my neighbour’s permission to shoot on her property I thought I would leave the bird in peace. A few moments later my eyes were diverted to witness four young magpies mobbing a brown owl decoy I have positioned on top of my shed roof, the solitary magpie swooped down from the tree to join in the ruckus. The owl decoy has sat there for years and this is only the second occasion I have seen it mobbed. This is too good an opportunity to pass by unchallenged, I retrieved my HW100 from its last safe keeping place, inserted the magazine and rested in readiness on the window ledge. The magpies were too frenzied to see one of their lot slump dead from a heart and lung shot taken at 55yards. A second one took flight with some excess baggage, namely a .177 AA Field... before dropping from the sky twenty or so yards into the farmer’s field. Whilst I kept an eye on the free-faller to make sure it was extinct of life, the other magpies dispersed.

 

The fox and its cubs will have a feast again tonight.

 

On a sadder note, the adjacent open fields to me have been sold to meet the housing needs of the government’s core strategy. Local people are up in arms about it; we even have the backing of our local MP. If the development does go ahead, I will be relegated to watching homosapien in a concrete jungle from my bedroom window. All the local and diverse wildlife will disappear forever; that’s progress!

 

Regards, Steve.

[Tozer 385]

I don't know why no one else mentions this. Itcworks with all corvids. My favourite trick is to sit and watch for a tree that gets crows reguarly perched in it. Build a very good hide and wait.

Once you drop one, what ever corvid it isthey'll decend. For several birds then you can keep picking them off.

It will continue until you are spotted. I've done 30 odd crows with the air rifle this way.

 

I sorted out some jackdaws for my aunty that were decending from the dairy farm over the road and nicking most of the goose food.

Put a hide net between 2 sheds 30yrds away.

Left the gun leant up there. Walk down. Tip in the feed and walk back as if I was leaving. I shot 14 in 15 minutes I'll never forget!

Edited September 20, 2014 by Tozer