# Are there more Magpies this year ?



## Shellebell (Dec 31, 2004)

OK so it might sound like a daft question   but I am sure that I am seeing way more Magpies this year than other years
Is it just here or is anyone else noticing more?

Ooo gawd just realised that I will have turned you all into twitchers now looking out for them  

Xxx


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## professor waffle (Apr 23, 2005)

I've seen a lot but singles ones as they're nesting at the moment I think. Don't think I've seen more than usual though


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## ♥emmyloupink♥ (Mar 21, 2005)

mmm i think i haveseen lots of single ones..if you see a crazy woman chasing a lone magpie down the road to find its mate..thats me


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## Jennifer (Jul 22, 2004)

Does anyone else have problems with magpies ?

I live in an area which seems to have loads of them and we get hardly any small birds like blue tits/robins/sparrows etc and my friend suggested it was because we have so many magpies.

I do have an adorable blackbird family who have nested in my garden for the past two years (once in the shed and a few times in the hedge) but apart from that I never see another type of bird actually in the garden despite putting up 2 nest boxes 

SO, I have busied myself making loads of feeders (fir cones stuffed with homemade suet/flour/seed mixture) and hung them up everywhere in the hope of attracting new birds but we still aren't getting any  And I have hung up a couple of feeders on the washing line. I also have a deadwood pile at the back and a damp boggy section with lots of snails etc.

The only change I have noted is that I now have large splats of *big *  bird crap on my garden furniture 

My neighbours have been laughing at me as I have even hung loads of feeders in the trees outside the front of our house along with millet sticks too just to attract them to our general area 

What can I do ? Any ideas for scaring off big birds and encouraging little ones ?

Any ideas ?


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## Shellebell (Dec 31, 2004)

There isn't a lot you can do hun   other than making it hard for the big birds to get to the feed 

Magpies will take the eggs out of any other birds nests to eat (or just play/drop them ) which is why you may see more magpies than other birds


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## Suzie (Jan 22, 2004)

I have seen lots more magpies this year also


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## Mish3434 (Dec 14, 2004)

We always have loads in our garden until i let the dogs out     that shifts them.  I think i'm getting so many as next door have put loads of bird food out in her garden.  The Magpies are sooo noisy they drive me mad


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