just a couple of things, regarding magpies.

do you say ' good morning' to the 1st magpie you see each day ? i do.

are magpies more common nowadays ? there seem to be loads about.

and they are always in groups or 6 or 7 or seem to be. is that where the song comes from ?

I say hello to every single (as in on it's own) magpie I see. I actually say

Hello Mr Magpie, how's the wife and children?

I don't say hello if there's more than one as I assume they are already mid conversation.

I've idea why I stated this but I dare not stop in case it's bad luck. I also used to ask them about how their bike was as well but I've stopped as obviously that's silly

There does seem to be more about these days as I seem to be saying hello all the time on a ride.

And what's Ralph's view of this behaviour, Sean?

That's a good idea to say hello to the magpies... It saves from irritating the local roadies when giving them a 'hallo' with my worn mtb pants and posh Crikey, how much top (I have a story about that but for another day)...

I find wildlife doesn't get in a huff when said hello to....

Actually I say hello (well I say, 'peace') to almost all the wildlife when I'm not in a huff and a puff. It's really not equality when you just say to the local magpie or even to the wildlife but not the treess... Should be saying hallo to the trees aswell (unless their in a group and possibly in mid convo)...

Magpies .... hah !!!

Where I grew up, you don't say good morning to magpies. You treat them like loaded guns. Aussie maggies are not the lovely sweet chattery black and white cuties we have here in the UK. Utter bastards happy to rip out your eyeballs soon as crap on you. Witness this: (be warned - there might be some swears)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HivhKv7wA-w

MuddyPete wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 6:10 pm And what's Ralph's view of this behaviour, Sean?

He's ok as long as I occasionally ask how he's doing as well.

Shaf, I also say hello to just about all other animals, although a 'morning' or 'afternoon' will usually suffice. Didn't mention it earlier as didn't want people to think I'm weird*

*Perhaps to late for that

I was taught to salute Magpies.

They were really common where I last lived - outskirts of Edinburgh - increasingly so over the years.

We are well outside of their territory here. I've not seen one in over 7 years.

FWIW, I was having a conversation with a couple of cows yesterday. They didn't have much to say but proved to be very attentive listeners.

I'm delighted to see this tradition continue!

We have very few here. I don't think they like the buzzards and Kites.

I think magpies are my favourite birds, they're so cheeky. I usually greet them as well when I see them while out riding but I'm with Scotroutes in that I usually chat to cattle (and sheep) as well. Madness but who cares!

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 7:55 pm We have very few here. I don't think they like the buzzards and Kites.

Corvids don't like buzzards and will mob them to drive them away. Not sure how they deal with kites. Not sure if buzzards raid magpie nests or the two species occupy a very similar niche so are in competition.

I miss magpie's as there aren't any in Shetland, but back home we always used to say 'Hello Mr Magpie, how's your wife?' and I still do when ever I see one.

Supposed to be bad luck if you don't, honest!

I seem to talk to anything from animals to any inanimate objects, even bikes! I also sing stupid nonsense songs to myself when I'm out walking or cycling. I do worry about myself at times!

Moder-dye wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 8:56 pm I miss magpie's as there aren't any in Shetland, but back home we always used to say 'Hello Mr Magpie, how's your wife?' and I still do when ever I see one.

Supposed to be bad luck if you don't, honest!

I seem to talk to anything from animals to any inanimate objects, even bikes! I also sing stupid nonsense songs to myself when I'm out walking or cycling. I do worry about myself at times!

Brought up in Kent and always said 'good morning Mr Magpie, how's your wife and family?'. I go for a more low profile salute now.

No I dont speak to them [did not even know it was a thing] but what i do with animals is not eat them ....I think they prefer that to a brief chat

I live in Edinburgh and they are everywhere, really noisy as well.

Another saluter of magpies here. I’ve done it since I was 6 years old and weirdly discovered my wife does it as well a year after we first met.

No I dont speak to them [did not even know it was a thing] but what i do with animals is not eat them ....I think they prefer that to a brief chat

fekin hell Johnnie, you have just put me off my XL bacon double cheese burger.......................

ton wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 10:02 pm

No I dont speak to them [did not even know it was a thing] but what i do with animals is not eat them ....I think they prefer that to a brief chat

fekin hell Johnnie, you have just put me off my XL bacon double cheese burger.......................

S'alright as long as it's not a Magpie Zinger.

Wouldn’t eat a magpie either, unless I was terribly hungry - can’t be good eating at all.

whitestone wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 8:53 pm
Corvids don't like buzzards and will mob them to drive them away. Not sure how they deal with kites.

We get some big corvid (crows) versus kites fights around the tall trees just behind our garden. Great fun to watch.

Verena wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 10:44 pm

whitestone wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 8:53 pm
Corvids don't like buzzards and will mob them to drive them away. Not sure how they deal with kites.

We get some big corvid (crows) versus kites fights around the tall trees just behind our garden. Great fun to watch.

partaking in bloodsports, even as a voyeur is a slippery slopes to accepting gratuatious violence...
well stone the crows!... .Ooops
I've implicated myself aswell...

In nature every mishap is anothers opportunity..

Corvids don't like buzzards and will mob them to drive them away.

They'll mob any large Raptor Bob. I can usually tell where the owl is should he escape due to the noise the other birds are making.

Best to be polite.
They can remember and recognise individual human faces.

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 6:14 am

Corvids don't like buzzards and will mob them to drive them away.

They'll mob any large Raptor Bob. I can usually tell where the owl is should he escape due to the noise the other birds are making.

Not just crows/corvids. Back in the 1980s we were climbing on a crag above Patterdale and noticed a large bird down the valley acting a bit strangely. On actually focussing on what was going on we realised it was one of the Lakeland Golden Eagles. We couldn't work out why it would suddenly appear to be halve in size and then we noticed some "dots". The "dots" were a pair of Peregrine Falcons basically dive bombing it. They'd climb to a couple of hundred metres above the eagle then dive at it. At the last moment the eagle would tuck in a wing as the peregrine shot past!

Not just raptors. We were cycling across Skye a few years ago and there was a right racket in the skies - a finch of some kind was harrying a cuckoo.

We've a pair of buzzards nesting across the field from the house, regularly hear their mewing call. There's also a pair nesting in the woods behind my brother's farm and they've been circling overhead whilst I've been walling. Ironically the wood is named "Crow Wood".

Always greet the Magpies and love their cheeky all round adaptability. Was on a caravan site a couple of years ago and one of the neighbors had fed their dog outside. 3 or 4 Magpies turned up as soon as the human left and hung about until the dog went to lie down under the van and they tucked in!
Best bit was they would peck at a bit of food and their beak went "thock" on the bottom of the bowl and they'd all jump and scarper before coming back and doing it again...and again!!