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Magpies and Mortar

Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
in Problem solving
I'm watching magpies demolishing the mortar on the ridge tiles on our garage. They are hacking big chunks off! This mortar is a different colour (reddish) to the rest of the garage mortar as the builders ran out and had to substitute. Are they after the sand in the mortar?
It's weird.
North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone

Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    Many birds eat clay and similar material from banks and cliffs to either gain minerals they can't get from their normal diet, or to reduce the effect of some toxins from berries etc.

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    Thanks @BobTheGardener, I thought it must be something along those lines. It's very strange they are only attacking the reddish mortar and none other on the same roof.
    Must be more tasty ingredients!!
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    edited April 2020
    They're probably after bugs hiding in the cracks. They pick through the moss and loose mortar on the roofs around here too. I don't mind them shifting the moss but I'd rather they didn't take the roof apart while doing it. A jackdaw dropped a big lump of concrete off the roof onto my head once.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    If they are laying eggs, they may be after the calcium in the mortar for building the egg shells and the red one may be softer, so easier to peck! :)
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    That was my first thought @wild edges but I think Bob's got the right answer.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
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