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Image-of-the-Day by Subject
Birds - Magpie Page 5
Image Taken on 08 Nov 2009
at 15:01 Image of day on 15 Dec 2009
You would think that this sheep would be really annoyed by a
magpie climbing all over her face, covering an eye and pecking at
the wool, but they seem very tolerant. In this photo the magpie
wasn't landing but had walked down the face and was climbing back up.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20091215_db1_20091108_1501_016 magpie climbing up sheep face (crop 2)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 01 Dec 2007
at 14:36 Image of day on 02 Jan 2008
We put out a few whole peanuts this time of year (usually the
dregs of the nut feeders). The bigger birds make the most of this
and stuff loads of nuts into their beaks. This magpie is picking
up at least it's third - it probably collected another half dozen
before flying off.
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Ref: 20080102_d3a_20071201_1436_078 fb2 magpie collecting beakful of peanuts(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 18 Apr 2024
at 08:53 Image of day on 16 May 2024
Magpie nest construction is still in full swing a month after we noticed the first Magpies with twigs.
These 8 pics were caught by a single camera over 4 days, each twig being of Blackthorn
which seems to be their preferred construction material.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20240516_bu7_20240418_0853_010-20240421_1723_170 magpie collecting blackthorn twigs over 4 days (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 25 Jun 2022
at 14:20 Image of day on 16 Aug 2022
The left pic is about half-an-hour earlier than the two on the right (just 400mS
apart) as probably the same Magpie takes some sort of caterpillar to the Meadow
Post, undoubtedly on the way to a demanding youngster. On the right the Magpie
seems to be deliberately Jamming the insects into a crack in the top of the
post.
Woodpeckers do this to steady nuts to break open - quite why a Magpie
would do this doesn't seem obvious.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20220816_d01_20220625_1420_466+1456_484+485_fb6 magpie collecting caterpillars and using crack in meadow post top 1-3 of 3 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 27 Dec 2021
at 13:29 Image of day on 29 Jan 2022
Our old house leaks in Rodents. Many are caught and released from live traps,
but some just won't or can't use them and have to be caught in snapper traps.
Here a dead mouse placed at the trees-tump camera sees a Magpie grateful for the
gift. It normally takes between about 4 minutes for a Magpie to come and collect.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20220129_d36_20211227_1329_037_fb4 magpie collecting dead fieldmouse (wood mouse) (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 09 Feb 2017
at 07:26 Image of day on 24 Mar 2017
Houses in the countryside have to 'control' invading mice. We make live traps
the primary means, but a few Fieldmice (Wood Mice) are either too big for them or have
had a close escape. So a few snapper traps are needed. We put out the sad
remains for the local foxes and corvids. So here we have
Another mouse that sadly avoided the live traps.
And another magpie not the least bit sorry.
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Ref: 20170324_d36_20170209_0726_003_fb4 magpie collecting dead mouse(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 15 Feb 2020
at 08:34 Image of day on 09 Mar 2020
More stuff for the Magpie nest - a sort of wattle and daub in corvid style.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20200309_d01_20200215_0834_124+0931+126_fb6 magpie collecting mud and twigs for nest 1+2 of 2 (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 13 Apr 2026
at 09:39 Image of day on 20 May 2026
Two days later and still collecting Building supplies. In 20 minutes this Magpie made 3 collections of
mud and weeds to take to the nest - wherever it may be.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20260520_e6a_20260413_0939_009+0958_012+0944_010_fb5 magpie collecting mud at meadow site (montage 20m)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 01 Mar 2020
at 08:56 Image of day on 25 Mar 2020
The Magpies started nest building earlier than the Rooks or Carrion Crows.
This magpie is collecting mud to 'glue' the nest into shape.
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Ref: 20200325_e62_20200301_0856_133_fb5 magpie collecting mud for nest(r+mb id@432).jpg
Image Taken on 26 Mar 2021
at 09:12 Image of day on 22 Apr 2021
Over one day what MIGHT be the same Magpie collects beakfuls of muddy vegetation.
On the right after a day of such effort the bird beak and breast are absolutely filthy.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20210422_d01_20210326_0912_064+0611_060+1551_082_fb6 magpie collecting muddy nesting materials over 10 hours (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 12 Jan 2024
at 13:06 Image of day on 06 Feb 2024
"What - no juicy mouse for lunch?"
Peanuts will have to do.
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Ref: 20240206_e63_20240112_1306_053_fb1 magpie collecting peanuts(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 28 Jan 2023
at 12:55 Image of day on 26 Feb 2023
Magpies gobble up peanuts and hold them in their beak with the tongue.
Pigeons on the other hand swallow them straight away - when they eat a lot their breasts bulge
out as we discovered while watching a Pigeon eating dozens of peanuts.
.jpg)
Ref: 20230226_e63_20230128_1255_201_fb1 magpie collecting peanuts in beak(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 13 Sep 2025
at 16:25 Image of day on 03 Nov 2025
A reasonable crop of apples this year are being prepared for freezing. There is inevitably some
damaged fruit we put out for the wildlife to enjoy, and this Magpie with tail vertical looks
keen to grab their share.
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Ref: 20251103_e6a_20250913_1625_336_fb5 magpie collecting slice of waste apple(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 20 Jul 2006
at 05:30 Image of day on 27 Jul 2006
A more obvious bowl of water was well used by magpies.
We expected to see the fieldmice (wood mice) using this local source of water
but the camera 'saw' none at all.
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Ref: 20060727_d35_20060720_0530_072 fb2 magpie drinking from bowl with iridescent plumage(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 05 Dec 2009
at 15:36 Image of day on 10 Jan 2010
You don't normally think of magpies tucking into the fruit and
veg, but here is one having a good hack at an apple.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20100110_d3b_20091205_1536_034_fb1 magpie eating apple (crop 2)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image of day on 20 Jan 2006
To celebrate the imminent departure of the roofers, a magpie
enjoying their left-over biscuits.
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Ref: 20060120_d3c_26681 fb2 magpie eating biscuit 2006jan13_16-23-42(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image of day on 01 Jul 2005
This magpie seemed to capture their immaculate plumage and
cheeky nature of these birds.
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Ref: 20050701_d3e_18856 fb1 magpie eating peel 2005jun23_18-29-22(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image of day on 09 Sep 2005
A magpie runs it's beady eye over the plums.
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Ref: 20050909_d3e_24404 fb1 magpie eating plums 2005sep04_19-02-58(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 02 Apr 2018
at 14:12 Image of day on 13 May 2018
Walking in the quiet of early morning of Easter Sunday this Road-kill Rabbit was
lying on the main road still reasonably intact. A bucket and spade transported
it to the meadow camera site where it lay mostly untouched for the rest of that
day. Then a magpie (top image) and Carrion Crows all pecked off a bit, before
the arrival of 'our' young Fox who it seems was strong enough to drag it off
to we-know-not-where a couple of hours before dawn.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20180513_e62_20180402_1412_042+20180403_0420_072+0437_073_fb5 magpie eating road-kill rabbit before fox takes it overnight (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 20 Apr 2020
at 09:18 Image of day on 10 May 2020
A Magpie samples the increasingly odiferous carcass of the roadkill Hare.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20200510_e62_20200420_0918_010_fb5 magpie eating roadkill hare (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
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