topic Re: It's a happy birds day in Community Spirit

It's a happy birds day

ecar3483 — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 03:00:18 GMT

Take a shelf in the garden, two very, very old bananas and a family of silvereyes and you have the makings of a happy birds day.

Re: It's a happy birds day

imastawka — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 03:28:46 GMT

Dad, mum and junior love muesli and walnuts

Then sing your praises

Re: It's a happy birds day

the_great_she_elephant — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 04:14:55 GMT

Be very careful, Stawka. We once started feeding a couple of magpies and ended up with 14 of the little buggas invading our garden several times a day, demanding loudly what they saw as their rights, tapping with their beaks on the kitchen window if we tried to ignore them, and even sneaking into our sunroom through the open catflap.

Re: It's a happy birds day

imastawka — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 04:31:08 GMT

It's ok, she ele. This family are the only ones around and they defend

their territory savagely from interlopers.

If there were more, they would have turned up by now.

Re: It's a happy birds day

j*oono — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 05:07:18 GMT

They certainly do that Stawka. My neighbour that owns the stockfeeds had a sort of pet magpie name, yeh you guessed it, Maggie.

This little bird used to chase people and peck at their shoes when they came into the yard. I didn't ever see it flying so maybe it couldn't fly.

Re: It's a happy birds day

bright.ton42 — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 05:07:21 GMT

Goody a bird lovers' thread. I love them too.

On hot days i leave bowls of water on the nature strip but people remove them.

Beware the bird haters.

Re: It's a happy birds day

j*oono — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 05:12:08 GMT

I finally got some parrots interested in my bird feeder since I hung it in the olive tree. Sorry for the really poor photo. It was on zoom on my phone.

Re: It's a happy birds day

imastawka — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 05:15:37 GMT

They say, around nesting time, the only way to stop Magpies

dive-bombing you is to feed them.

It is now nesting time, so we'll see.

They do follow me up to the shops and back - I kinda like it

Re: It's a happy birds day

imastawka — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 06:38:44 GMT

Sounds like the thread title, so why not?

Re: It's a happy birds day

ecar3483 — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 11:43:54 GMT

Love those photos.

There's two pairs that live around here, one with a baby girl. She's funny. When she's on her own she's a bold and confident young magpie, but when mum or dad turn up she turns on the squeaking "feed me" baby noise, which they ignore, LOL.

Re: It's a happy birds day

imastawka — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 11:50:05 GMT

Yeah, the babies are funny with their 'peep peeep' noise.

Junior is bigger than dad, but pretends he's only little.

Puffs up like a baby and goes 'peep peep'

Dad pecks him and he falls over sideways on the ground still 'peeping'.

When dad's not around he warbles like a big boy.

Re: It's a happy birds day

iapetus_rocks — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 13:58:15 GMT

Just a word of warning to those who like to feed wild birds.

if we feed them what we think they like rather than what they need, then the birds may end up with diet deficiency syndrome (for want of a better description)

For instance: I knew someone who persisted in feeding the young magpies with shop-bought mince-meat. The birds loved it.

However, due to a folic acid deficient diet, one bird (at least one that I know of) developed a condition known as toe curl. a very crippling and almost irreversible condition.

Before one feeds wild birds, there are a few things to consider.

Are they being fed a diet complete with all the nutrients they need?

And, are they being deprived of learning how to find food in the wild for themselves?

I don't feed wild birds though I do put out water for them. also, I got rid of the lawn and planted native trees so the birds can find natural food in my garden.

Sorry to rain on the parade, but the sight of that young magpie staggering around on its knuckles(?) because it couldn't straighten its toes, will be forever in my memory.

Re: It's a happy birds day

imastawka — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 01:13:18 GMT

I understand your concern, but....

I did some research before feeding them anything. The advice was

fruitless muesli, because it contains grains, and walnuts because it is

a particular favourite of magpies.

I do not feed them meat. They still fosssick in the gardens

and lawns to dig up worms and bugs for their protein.

They are not reliant on me for all their food.

Re: It's a happy birds day

opmania — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 01:24:03 GMT

When your around nesting

Magpies if you wear your

Sunnies on the back of

Your Head it stops them

Attacking

Re: It's a happy birds day

imastawka — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 01:31:35 GMT

They won't attack you if you feed them, either

Re: It's a happy birds day

ecar3483 — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 11:51:55 GMT

I'd be more concerned, personally, about getting on the wrong side of him.

Mister windswept and majestic, the great hunter of sparrows.

I was always under the impression that I was the scariest thing in the garden, according to the birds, then one afternoon he turned up and the place was absolutely silent - birds? what birds? no, no, there's no birds here...

It was eerie.

Re: It's a happy birds day

imastawka — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 12:22:40 GMT

LOL. Mr Majestic is beautiful

Do you have possums?

Cos ya won't for long...........................hahahahaha

Re: It's a happy birds day

ecar3483 — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 12:30:31 GMT

That's brilliant. I'm not showing it to the possum, though.

She's had her baby out of the pouch for the first time this week. She's fine, but the baby's still not entirely sure that back in the pouch isn't the best place to be. I don't think it needs to know about owls, just yet, LOL.