Our garden birds - Harsh winter weather can spell doom

[imokyrok]

I saw one swoop down and rip the head off a young blackbird. They attack each other too. In dublin's stephen's green i saw one attacking another in a quite terrrible manner. If you ever see an injured magpie, be sure its because it was in a fight with another.

You are right, they do show a good degree of intelligence. The Crow, their cousins, are the only ones in that family I have respect for, they use their intelligence for problem solving rather than malice. Magpies are the grey squirrels of the bird world.

Robins kill each other too. Magpies do what comes natural to them and presumably it contributes to the survival of the individuals gene pool. If we were to despise animals for what we perceive as cruelty none of us would have a cat as a pet. When you anthropomorphize an animals behaviour you don't get crueler than a cat. It's not logical to dislike or kill magpies for such a reason. In fact one could argue that in suggesting shooting them you are doing precisely what you claim to be malice in magpies.

[Oppenheimer]

I saw one swoop down and rip the head off a young blackbird. They attack each other too. In dublin's stephen's green i saw one attacking another in a quite terrrible manner. If you ever see an injured magpie, be sure its because it was in a fight with another.

You are right, they do show a good degree of intelligence. The Crow, their cousins, are the only ones in that family I have respect for, they use their intelligence for problem solving rather than malice. Magpies are the grey squirrels of the bird world.

May be soon we can get money and prizes for shooting them too..... Gun clubs compete in squirrel cull - The Irish Times - Wed, Jan 06, 2010

[MsAnneThrope]

Robins kill each other too. Magpies do what comes natural to them and presumably it contributes to the survival of the individuals gene pool. If we were to despise animals for what we perceive as cruelty none of us would have a cat as a pet. When you anthropomorphize an animals behaviour you don't get crueler than a cat. It's not logical to dislike or kill magpies for such a reason.

Exactly Imokyrok. As do other birds. Even the beautiful spotted woodpecker will eat other birds' chicks, and their eggs. But can we please keep this thread on-topic, and discuss what we can do to feed and provide water to our garden birds during this cold snap? Why is it that every thread on helping animals/birds attracts the gung-ho blast-everything-with-a-shotgun types? I thought there were Nintendo or Playstation shoot-em-up games for those thrillseekers.

As I said in the OP if you're not interested in this topic then this is not the thread for you.

[beanie]

My evil pig dogs have gone and eaten all the lard soaked bread I left on the ground for the ground feeders
My own fault I know.

[Lazarus]

Apart from table scraps I buy packets of lard, melt it and mix it in with bird seed. I buy a few bags of bird seed every few months. I also discovered the birds seem to enjoy porridge. I buy a huge bag of it but whether right or wrong, I don't know, I soak the oats overnight in water.

I have had to create two bird feeding places. The front garden for seagulls that arrive in the hundreds and a bird table out back for little birds. This is the first year seagulls have this far inland since I have been living here. I think they are seagulls, huge white birds, beautiful.

[Lightning Rod]

Robins kill each other too. Magpies do what comes natural to them and presumably it contributes to the survival of the individuals gene pool. If we were to despise animals for what we perceive as cruelty none of us would have a cat as a pet. When you anthropomorphize an animals behaviour you don't get crueler than a cat. It's not logical to dislike or kill magpies for such a reason. In fact one could argue that in suggesting shooting them you are doing precisely what you claim to be malice in magpies.

+1

[Lightning Rod]

This is the first year seagulls have this far inland since I have been living here..

Here too, normally I don't see flocks of seagulls this far inland, but I've seen a lot around lately.

[beanie]

Another point to note. Birds puff out their feathers to trap warm air in an effort to stay warm. I know of someone who stopped feeding the birds as she felt she was over feeding them. This little lad is cold not fat, so keep feeding.

Waiting for the fat burd quips.

[Malbekh]

Here too, normally I don't see flocks of seagulls this far inland, but I've seen a lot around lately.

Did you run? Did you run so far away?

[imokyrok]

If people who don't have a birdfeed table are trying to think of ways to put out food for the birds who don't like ground feeding you could recycle the hanging basket from this summer. Just stick an old plate in it to provide a platform and as I mentioned earlier a tripod of tall bamboo canes makes a good place to hang peanuts and seed feeders from away from cats - best out in the middle of the lawn away from bushes.

Thanks Anne for encouraging us all to get moving on this one.