We have the same problem, I have just witnessed a Magpie take a newt from our pond and just rip it to pieces!!! we will have to take steps, I won't let this continue to happen. It was awful. They also bully the collared doves in our garden and have ripped pigeons to pieces on our lawn. They are so nasty!!!!
Magpies are destroying small bird habitat and are in many areas now more in numbers than our blackbird,sparrow,starling and thrush.
when i was a lad in the north east of england th eonly time you saw these birds was when you visited the country however they are now a very common sight in our back and front gardens preying on young birds and now fish in our ponds.
They have even done me a huge favour two years in a row by attacking in big groups a seagull nesting on my roof and have succesfully destroyed their nest and got their young chicks.
Magpies are the flying rats of the skys no wonder farmers paid a price per head as they are a nuisance and unfortunately very good at getting their prize.
About thirty years ago (when I was still living with my parents) we saw a magpie take a sizeable Golden Orfe from our pond, and they are lively strong fish. If we hadn't seen it happen we would never gave believed it.
My current pond is now a likely target for herons. I live in an area where we hardly see any magpies at all. The biggest danger we have to garden birds are cats (why don't people put bells on their collars) and Jackdaws. I like Jackdaws, an intelligent lively bird but they don't half make a mess of a nest full of eggs or chicks if they find one.
Paul D85 that's an interesting device, much better than the net we have currently been forced to use. Keep us updated on it please.
That's the trouble - I really wish to feed the birds, but what with magpies, squirrels, and pigeons really feel I'm onto a losing battle!! There were 6 magpies in our garden this morning, two trying to balance on the feeder (luckily they can't eat from it, it closes at their weight, but they scare the small birds I do want away!). Our robin follows me down to the greenhouse to complain if they hang around too long, so that I will go and shoo them off so he and the other little ones can feed. If I could find something that would render the 3 of them sterile I'd use it like a shot - as it is, just keep fighting the good fight!
Thats so sweet that your robin complains to you to sort them out Bookertoo. I like watching the magpies feeding their young etc, or at least I did until the last few weeks. They are chasing off the beautiful jays that come to our garden and have even chased our cat a few times!
Hi, has anyone had any experience of magpies taking small wooden mushrooms from their garden? Sounds stupid I know but yesterday I arranged 7 small oak mushrooms round the garden which the pond is in, this morning when I went out to look at the fish there were only 4 mushrooms in the garden. As my garden is enclosed and the only way into it is via the house, I know it's not a person. I have seen magpies about and on the roof of the building at the bottom of my garden. If anyone can shed some light on this I would be extremely grateful
I've had a magpie hanging round my pond for about 2 weeks. My fish have sank to bottom during day. Little so and so is there now. Put net over see what he does. He's drinking round edges. Didn't think they ate live fish. . Will keep an eye on it from now on.
Posts
We have the same problem, I have just witnessed a Magpie take a newt from our pond and just rip it to pieces!!! we will have to take steps, I won't let this continue to happen. It was awful. They also bully the collared doves in our garden and have ripped pigeons to pieces on our lawn. They are so nasty!!!!
hi all
Magpies are destroying small bird habitat and are in many areas now more in numbers than our blackbird,sparrow,starling and thrush.
when i was a lad in the north east of england th eonly time you saw these birds was when you visited the country however they are now a very common sight in our back and front gardens preying on young birds and now fish in our ponds.
They have even done me a huge favour two years in a row by attacking in big groups a seagull nesting on my roof and have succesfully destroyed their nest and got their young chicks.
Magpies are the flying rats of the skys no wonder farmers paid a price per head as they are a nuisance and unfortunately very good at getting their prize.
I have my catapult at hand they have been warned
We have a magpie eating our tadpoles. The koi are too big for it but not for the heron
About thirty years ago (when I was still living with my parents) we saw a magpie take a sizeable Golden Orfe from our pond, and they are lively strong fish. If we hadn't seen it happen we would never gave believed it.
My current pond is now a likely target for herons. I live in an area where we hardly see any magpies at all. The biggest danger we have to garden birds are cats (why don't people put bells on their collars) and Jackdaws. I like Jackdaws, an intelligent lively bird but they don't half make a mess of a nest full of eggs or chicks if they find one.
Paul D85 that's an interesting device, much better than the net we have currently been forced to use. Keep us updated on it please.
Cheers,
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B012DQKSNW/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=569136327&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00CWDN3O8&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=2BQ76RZFZKHJ7N1RCP3R
Just picked this up from another thread courtesy of dyersend for deterring naughty birds. Don't forget it'll deter the nice ones too though.
Last edited: 14 June 2016 09:53:59
That's the trouble - I really wish to feed the birds, but what with magpies, squirrels, and pigeons really feel I'm onto a losing battle!! There were 6 magpies in our garden this morning, two trying to balance on the feeder (luckily they can't eat from it, it closes at their weight, but they scare the small birds I do want away!). Our robin follows me down to the greenhouse to complain if they hang around too long, so that I will go and shoo them off so he and the other little ones can feed. If I could find something that would render the 3 of them sterile I'd use it like a shot - as it is, just keep fighting the good fight!
Thats so sweet that your robin complains to you to sort them out Bookertoo. I like watching the magpies feeding their young etc, or at least I did until the last few weeks. They are chasing off the beautiful jays that come to our garden and have even chased our cat a few times!
Hi, has anyone had any experience of magpies taking small wooden mushrooms from their garden? Sounds stupid I know but yesterday I arranged 7 small oak mushrooms round the garden which the pond is in, this morning when I went out to look at the fish there were only 4 mushrooms in the garden. As my garden is enclosed and the only way into it is via the house, I know it's not a person. I have seen magpies about and on the roof of the building at the bottom of my garden. If anyone can shed some light on this I would be extremely grateful
I've had a magpie hanging round my pond for about 2 weeks. My fish have sank to bottom during day. Little so and so is there now. Put net over see what he does. He's drinking round edges. Didn't think they ate live fish. . Will keep an eye on it from now on.
Last year we watched magpies taking mud and muddy grass roots from the end of our pond to help with nestbuilding.
We have no fish in our pond so they weren't attracted by them.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.