15-05-2003, 08:56 AM
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nasty magpie?
pushed briefly to the front of the queue on Wed, 14
May 2003 22:47:38 GMT, and nailed this to the shed door:
^ Would a magpie attack a robin's nest? I saw two robins setting up a
^ nest in a birdhouse in my back yard, then didn't see them for a few
^ weeks, so I had a look in the nest and there was an egg in it. I left
^ things alone but didn't see the robins any more. Then last week I
^ noticed that the nest had been pulled out of the birdhouse. I thought
^ maybe a rat or cat had been at it, as all trace of the egg was gone.
^ I put the nest back in the birdhouse just to see what would happen,
^ and today it was pulled out again. I saw a magpie looking around the
^ yard yesterday, so I'm wondering if it could be the culprit. If so,
^ could it have chased off the robins in the first place?
I would certainly think so. Where I work, the building is like a
hollow square, built around a large open garden/quadrangle thing.
Every year, ducks come and nest there - it's become quite an annual
event, seeing how many young will be raised every year. This year is a
record - 18 - but it's also the first year I can remember where the
numbers were not reduced by at least 50% by magpies, who given half a
chance will attack and kill the ducklings when they they are still
very small.
Andy
--
sparge at globalnet point co point uk
Stimulus: .. while I'm in the throes of a migraine ..
Response: IRTA ".. I'm in a trough of margarine"
Frank Erskine MJBC, uk.rec.sheddizen
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