Juvenile grey butcherbird. Photo: Mike Young (Creative Commons) Pamela Jacka has a ringside seat for the adventures of a young magpie and butcherbird.
By Pamela Jacka
WHILE watching some tennis, I saw out of the corner my right eye a vision of a magpie hurtling down my path. Well, I don’t think I’ve seen a bird hurtle down a path before. It was then I realised that it was being helped in its hurtle by the young male cat from next door!
I flew out my front door (no pun intended) and saw one of the magpie parents loudly admonishing the cat, who had dumped his catch on the driveway next door. Young Billie/Billy (as in Billie the Kid) was lying prostrate on the next door driveway, swearing rather loudly. I carefully folded her/his wing against its body and noticed that its right foot was in its mouth. I don’t think I’ve seen a magpie with foot in mouth disease but who knows!
By Pamela Jacka
WHILE watching some tennis, I saw out of the corner my right eye a vision of a magpie hurtling down my path. Well, I don’t think I’ve seen a bird hurtle down a path before. It was then I realised that it was being helped in its hurtle by the young male cat from next door!
I flew out my front door (no pun intended) and saw one of the magpie parents loudly admonishing the cat, who had dumped his catch on the driveway next door. Young Billie/Billy (as in Billie the Kid) was lying prostrate on the next door driveway, swearing rather loudly. I carefully folded her/his wing against its body and noticed that its right foot was in its mouth. I don’t think I’ve seen a magpie with foot in mouth disease but who knows!
I took the bird back home, gently removed its foot from its mouth and put it on the ground. Mum and Dad joined it on its rather fast flight back to the “home tree”. Mum and Dad have been back for snacks but I’ve only heard the Kid from afar. Hopefully it’s learned that cats that are not behind glass or inside a cat run are not to be trusted?
The other story is about a butcherbird fledgling from last year who had a weepy eye which also appeared to be sunken. I thought that it could be an injury or perhaps a cancer of some type. It came back often for a snack, with a parent and I hoped that it would be okay.
Unlike the magpies, the butcherbird family didn’t pop in during the breeding season but when they finally turned up, presumably after hatching, etc., I was pleased to see the young fledgling still around. The eye is no longer weepy but it appears to be sightless. It was heartening to see that it has managed to survive. I just need to make sure I’m on the right side before I fling out “worms” for it to catch!
The other story is about a butcherbird fledgling from last year who had a weepy eye which also appeared to be sunken. I thought that it could be an injury or perhaps a cancer of some type. It came back often for a snack, with a parent and I hoped that it would be okay.
Unlike the magpies, the butcherbird family didn’t pop in during the breeding season but when they finally turned up, presumably after hatching, etc., I was pleased to see the young fledgling still around. The eye is no longer weepy but it appears to be sightless. It was heartening to see that it has managed to survive. I just need to make sure I’m on the right side before I fling out “worms” for it to catch!