The magpies are back!
By Katlady2
@Katlady2 (9904)
United States
May 22, 2008 12:57pm CST
And boy are they ornerier than ever this year. I don't get to sleep in anymore because they start in around 6 am with their loud voices. And my poor cats are so annoyed with them too. They swoop down on whatever unsuspecting kitty that is in the yard, and I've seen them actually peck them on the backs as they flew by! I stood outside yesterday with my trusty spray bottle set on "stream" and kept shooting the birds with the water. They weren't too happy with me. I think I was getting cussed out in "bird-ese" LOL! My big black cat, Midnight, is doing his level best to jump up and catch one in mid air. It's hilarious to watch too.
So, to make this into a discussion, do any of you have any pesky feathered friends that love to hang around and annoy you and your pets?
Have a great day everyone! Hugs..........Carryl
4 people like this
8 responses
@nova1945 (1612)
• United States
22 May 08
Poor kitties, the birds probably have a nest nearby and they can be fierce when they think they are defending it. We don't have problems with magpies, but for us the starlings are back. I have several bird-feeders and a huge birdbath/fountain in my yard and those darn starlings take over. They are such bullies and always travel in gangs or packs or whatever it's called. I had to find a feeder that was hard for the starlings to perch on so all the other birds could get some food. The only thing that seems to scare them off without scaring the other ones are blue-jays. They are back too, but they won't be around as long as the starlings will.
Good luck with your magpie battle.
@Katlady2 (9904)
• United States
22 May 08
I keep looking up in the huge tree in our front yard to see if there's a nest, but I can't tell if there's one there or not. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if there is one though with the way they all congregate in my yard. We have the starlings and blue jays hanging around too. But they love tormenting my two dogs in the back yard. It's so funny to see my big dog, Buddy, suddenly lower himself flat out to the ground and then take off running after the birds. He and my other dog, Snuggles, have actually caught a few in mid flight. I think they do better than my cats! LOL!
1 person likes this
@vanities (11395)
• Davao, Philippines
23 May 08
that will be nice if i had one,,but unfortunately none in this new house...actually i love birds and enjoy watching them fly especially when cats are trying to jump up to catch them(but of course hoping they will not be caught on the process
)
)1 person likes this
@whimsystoryteller (1743)
• United States
23 May 08
Okay, Carryl, I checked the internet for deterents for magpies and found an interesting one. One is to hang half-full plastic bottles or CDs in trees to scare them away. Magpies don't like the way the light reflects from the surfaces of either. You could also use crystal like prisms, I'd bet.
Anyway, this might help you to get rid of them.
A word of warning for you and the cats is that magpies like to aim for eyes when they attack and you don't want for you, your family or your animals to lose an eye from them so I think you should really do something quickly about this to protect yourselves.
1 person likes this
@Feona1962 (7526)
• United States
25 May 08
That would really drive me bonkers..My dogs chase bees.....and the occasional butterfly....
1 person likes this
@whimsystoryteller (1743)
• United States
23 May 08
Hmmm...I'm going to have to think on this one. There has to be a clever solution to dealing with these birds. I'd suggest going on the internet and checking out what magpies don't like or what might run them off. I'm curious so I may do this and write a story about them so please tell me all of the stories you can. I may put you in the story with your trusty water bottle.
Can't you just see this woman with a head full of rollers in her bathrobe flying out of her house with face cream on screaming at the magpies and spraying at them while Midnight is jumping in the air trying to catch one?
I think this would make a very humorous story and I just may make it part of my Whistle Forest series and your house is on the edge of the forest. How does that sound?
Talk to you later...
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
23 May 08
When I was a kid on the farm in south d akota we had
so many magpies and as you say they are reaally an
ornery bird. They nearly drove our dog and our cats
nuts as they would yankout hair to put in their nests.
I can just see you out there squirting the magpies and
them giving you what for in birdese. here in southern
'california we dont have magpies we have big black
crows. one comes and sits in my window and caws at me
as if to ask a question. they spend a lot of time in the
row of cypress trees that I can see out my bedroom window.
