Juvenile magpie attempting - and failing - to fend for itself

 Magpies have nested successfully again in a hawthorn near the end of our garden and their fledglings, now well grown, have been harassing their parents relentlessly for food. Lately the youngsters have been showing signs of foraging for themselves and this one mistook the squeaky toy belonging to a neighbour's dog for a real dead animal.

The young bird circled its prey cautiously at first, pecked it a few times to check that it was dead, stood on the toy's head and then pecked and tugged it furiously. 

The attack went on for about ten minutes but, apart from pulling out a few threads, the attacker never managed to reach the stuffing of the soft, cuddly carrion 

It probably would have continued until it broke through the outer covering, but then a parent bird arrived and fed it some real edible food.