Magpies

[whiffey]

I live in South London, and I am now convinced that over the last few years magpies have come to outnumber even the pigeons. Does anyone sense the same ? I loathe magpies, but this is a serious observation.

[annavc]

I also live in South London and I agree there do seem to be a lot of magpies around these days. There are 2 which I think nest at my local station who I see every morning without fail while I'm waiting for the train.

[Lonnie]

I'm not being nasty, but anywhere they are, except where I live, is good, I moved to where I am now, somwhere in Essex, fourteen years ago, and we were overrun with Magpies, the about eight years ago, a family of Crows moved into a Mature Oak close by, and stayed, the Magpies either moed out, or were chased out, since then, we;ve hardly seen one, and i've grown quite fond of the Crows, they've even got names.

[whiffey]

How do I get crows to nest in my cherry tree ?

[CT]

hahaha. Try the NE. Overrun with the sky rats. Plenty in the city centres and we get some of the wood pidgeons round our garden. The males look to fat to fly. Cheeky gits they are. Occaisionally see a few magpies, but outnumbering the pidgeons. definitely not.

[Bohne]

I noticed an increase in magpies about three years ago, and after checking found an article that agreed with me, saying that magpies were increasing in numbers in Europe.

I love them, though, and why would you want to see less, since one is for sorrow, but two already are for joy!

:o)

[SteveD]

There's lots about magpies here:

http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/advice/magpies/index.asp

[whiffey]

Thanks everybody !! Most friendly and helpful.

Bohne, it is the NOISE that really gets to me. Handsome birds I know, but chatter chatter chatter, croak, croak, croak. Normally I would go outside and throw stones at them, but one day I was laying in the bath and they started up just outside the window. It went on and on and on and drove me barmy.

Also, they got my robin's nest.