Magpie Babies

Both our magpie families have babies now. Billy, our neighbour's magpie, who can't resist stopping by for a feed whenever he sees me, and his mate Polly have two new bubs out of the nest but still staying in the trees and waiting for food to be brought to them. Meanwhile, their bubs from last year, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, are acting more baby-like to keep on getting attention, even though many one-year-old magpies have already left home by this stage.

Meanwhile Maggie and Vicky, no doubt held up in their plans by Sophie's illness, have their clutch in one of the crow's nests, which they arranged to take over from the crows last year. The nest has a good view of our breakfast room, so we have a good view of it, and I have again set up the telescope. Yesterday I saw two tiny blobs on sticks - with a flash of bright pink. That turned out to be their heads, beaks open, showing their pink throats as they called for food from mum. They are still tiny and featherless, with just a bit of fine down on the top of their heads. So they are many weeks behind Billy's family.

BTW, I haven't seen Butch butcherbird since she popped in for a quick visit a week or so ago. Just checking up on the kids?