To make a pie out of the Magpie

[Toilenstripes]

That’s flying around my garden screeching?

At least I think it’s a magpie. Big, blue and black. Could be tasty with the right seasoning.

if it's anything like the bloody noisy ones by me, DO IT!

Oh, and if you can squeeze in some pigeons, sparrows and a host of others by me do let me know. THEY NEVER BLOODY SHUT UP!

I think blackbirds are the more traditional ingredient, four and twenty of them if I remember right, but I don't see why you couldn't use Magpie instead!

I read a book recently (Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver) and they called the magpie Chatterpie. Seems completely right to me, it's made me like them a little bit

I had to rescue my cat off the extension roof this morning because he was being dive bombed by screeching magpies 🤣

Yes I also thought of Wakenhyrst! You can't eat Chatterpie :(

It’s at next doors now. Good call on the blackbirds.

There's a female blackbird that goes nuts if I sit in its sight in the garden. All yours!

You're welcome

Will you have room for a few sea gulls? They’re driving me mad and I’m in landlocked Oxon!

Oxon here too. A seagull is about the size of my garden.

I've got a least two you can add to your pie. They're nesting in a tree outside my bedroom window. Ridiculously noisy!

My parents part of Oxfordshire get the red kites flying around. Blackbirds like winding the cat up when she ventures out into their garden - which is rare as she is not a cat to enjoy the outdoors. They fly around pretending to be about to dive bomb her and then fly away laughing

There is also a highly intense Blackbird vs Squirrel war going on. But that's been going on for years now.

I’ve got two fat ball holders in the garden and it’s lovely to see the small birds land on them and peck away.
However, there’s a group of three ravens/crows that are about four times the size of the litttle blue tits and robins.
They land on the holders making them swing and then peck a whole fat ball apart in one go. Then they land on top of the wooden fence, wipe their beak on it and then shout to their mates.
Bloody goth fuckers.

While I’ve been fielding offers on blackbirds a giant pigeon has landed on the fence and it (the fence) shook. Wtf? I only wanted a glass of wine in my garden on a warm evening. Now I’m looking up gravy recipes for Mag Pie.

Some years ago one of my cats was attacked by crows.

Every time he went into the garden, four of them dived down at him. It went on for most of a day, we never found out why and they didn't to it to the other cat. Very odd.

So you can add crows to your pie.

Had a cuckoo coming into the tree in my garden recently; he seem to take up residence for a while in the local area.

I never realised how loud they are until he kept waking me very early in the morning.

Wonderful to hear him so near and actually see him close to.

No cuckoos in the pie though.

If you do then please don't tell my cat - he's been trying to catch the maggers round here for the last five years and has, so far, failed miserably. He is most put out by this state of affairs 😂

WisestIsShe that's exactly how I felt after reading Wakenhyrst! Chatterpie was so sweet. I see them a bit differently now, too.

rednsparkey he’s brave to try. My cat just sleeps through the noise.

My garden currently resembles an avian Heathrow. There is certainly an arrivals lounge in my tree.

We have one hanging around waiting for the baby birds to fledge so they can try to eat them. Good thing dh’s office overlooks the best.

When I was a kid my landlord had a magpie trap by his chicken coop. First an egg to catch one, then used one to catch more. I’m pretty sure that’s illegal now.

My very small cat brought a huge magpie in the other day. It was obviously playing dead as it revived in the sitting room and swooped all the pictures etc off the mantle piece.

Small cat recaptured it but I managed to prise him away and the Maggie flew off looking unscathed

We have Jackdaws, Magpies and Pigeons, all of which will scrap over anything left on the bird table. Clever birds Magpies though, I've seen them take scraps of dry bread and dip them in our pond to soften them.

Magpies have taken up residence in my roof! It’s bloody loud at times. I’ve looked it up online and it says I should disturb them until October. Any advice please?

There's a crow having a staring match with the dog currently, he's on the deck - every time he ventured onto the grass it dive bombs him. Had a go at me yesterday. It's got a nest in the conifer tree