Mr Magpie ( Pica pica )

The Magpie is one of the craftiest, clever and moreover disliked birds that add colour and that awful song to our gardens and woodlands...he is disliked because of his diet of eggs and young songbirds, his nests are an eyesore he wakes everyone (well me) early each morning by shouting to the world that he is awake and so should everyone else be.
In bygone years the Magpie was steeped in superstition and witchcraft and still today you hear people muttering some rhyme or saying in salute to Mr Magpie (one for sorow two for joy etc)...One of the Crow family he has a fondness for shiny things and you should never leave small things of value on view for fear of him stealing them...this might be more myth than fact as I have never known anyone who has actually lost anything this way...I would liken him to the Velociraptor as he is cunning, clever and makes plans, he is in contact with his comrades and together they hunt and communicate together, forming a very formidable force for the poor songbirds and any other that might get in their way... Magpies gather to stage 'parliaments' in which a group of birds apparently 'decides' to expel one or more of the birds in their group. More likely this is the apparent outcome of one Magpie trying to muscle in to an area which is at the edge of the territories of several pairs. All the territory holders will move to defend their bit of land, they crowd or cluster around the intruder until eventually it is chased off, this is accompanied by lots of noise and furor, they attack in waves, gaining a bit of territory and losing a bit...I have witnessed several individuals attacking one loner for no apparent reason, eventually killing it.
They mate for life and as parents they are very devoted and will go hungry making sure junior gets fed...they are very beautiful birds really, their plumage is striking black and white with green and blue gloss wing tips and tail feathers...they are able to mimic noises and sounds and at one Stately home in Wakefield that I visit on the odd occasion, they have one who has led a caged life and he can talk as well as some Parrots I have hear-ed.
We have a local nest that is approaching double the size of a wheelie bin and forms two tiers, you can watch the birds move between the two as they arrive and depart...this nest is home to a massive number of birds and it is situated right in the middle of an housing estate here in Manchester...the locals have tried and failed to get rid of them as have the council, but Mr Magpie keeps rebuilding and adding to his ever growing condo and why not, he has a massive smorgasboard  out there keeping him and his friends very well fed..