Crows versus Magpies

 

Magpies have nested at the bottom of our garden annually for about twenty years. Until last year they returned every spring to the massive heap of sticks in the centre of an old hawthorn, which was well hidden. Last year they built a new one in a fast-growing Norway maple, about ten feet higher than their previous nest and very exposed to potential predators. A pair of magpies have been standing guard over the nest since late December, but now it looks as though they are being evicted by carrion crows.

A single crow turned up yesterday morning, pecking at twigs in the nest and evidently rearranging them for its own comfort. It provoked a furious and very noisy reaction from the magpies.

The magpies made a lot of fuss but never approached within pecking range of the crow's beak.

Then the crow started calling and within a couple of minutes its mate turned up, provoking more fury from the magpies.

So it seems that the pair of crows have taken over. The magpies are still loitering, but the crows came back this morning. It will be interesting to see how this conflict develops, and who will lay eggs in the nest.

Sneaky but risky.....

This blackbird snuck in under our radar and built her nest in an ivy-covered fence within a few feet of our windows. It'll be convenient for watching her progress but tense too - a grey squirrel uses the top of the fence as a highway every day and there are magpies nesting just two gardens away...

Last Year's Des-Res...

We found this exquisite wren's nest in a blackthorn bush beside a drystone wall along the Pennine Way near Middleton-in-Teesdale last week. It's last year's nest and over the winter the moss cladding that the bird carefully wove into its structure has continued to grow, producing a living green dome. The entrance hole on the side looks like it has been used, maybe by a field mouse during the winter.

Overheating Blackbird

There's frantic nest building activity all around our back garden. So far I've found two blackbird nests, as well as nests of a robin, wren, hedge sparrow, collared dove and wood pigeon in various stages of construction. This female blackbird spent the whole morning shuttling backwards and forwards with nest material and then, at around 2pm. when the afternoon was at its hottest ....

..... give seemed to give up out of sheer exhaustion. She spent the next half hour apparently in a trance, with her feathers fluffed up, beak open and panting heavily. During that time a sparrowhawk flew low overhead without spotting her - one lucky blackbird!