Avenger, my now old cat, decided that he wanted to be fed outside. This created new opportunities for my magpie.
Now he has become quite bold, coming up to the back door to check. Food is not always there. Sad bird.
Researchers at the University of New England established that if you are a known magpie friend you are safe from attack. I don't know about that, but certainly I have never been dive bombed in the area in which I am presently living.
The discussion now is what name he should be given. The feeling is that magpie is no longer sufficient.
7 comments:
Hi Jim
A scientific name for the magpie is Cracticus tibicen. So I was thinking (depending on the level of formality you like), you could consider either Sir Cracticus or simply Tibsy.
GL
Traditional name for a male maggie is Jacko, Maggie for a female. The patriarch of our clan is known as Boof, or Boofhead. His varying entourage just get Birdie(s).
If Boof is in the right mood, he will sit on the letterbox, and eat out of my hand.
The maggies also keep the currawongs at bay, which is a good thing; I don't like currawongs. When we still had dear old Ses, the last of the Armidale strays, he always had his breakfast outside, and the bloody currawongs would share the feast, and Ses (full name Simon Earl Grey Pitt Hyphen Crawley, being the totally non aggressive soul that he was, would just lie there and let them!
JCW
Morning, JCW. Those traditional names are not encouraging. I am not going to call my magpie either Jacko or Maggie. I much prefer GL's suggestions! I think that my big problem with Sir Cracticus aka Tibsy is that the Myna birds may exclude him. Certainly Avenger won't. He is far to like Ses!
Once upon a time, many years ago, our neighbour, Eunice Traise, found a baby magpie on the golf course. Jacko, assumed to be male was hand raised, and incredibly tame. Eunice, originally a Tamworth girl (as, incidentally, was Mum. My g'father, the palais one, was an ironmonger, and worked for Trelours), maintained that that was what new England male magpies were called. He lived in a big aviary, but spent much of his time outside. He would came hopping to our place, 3 doors away to visit his best friend, Boss, our then big soft labbie. This was long before Bad Black Sally. One day, on his travels, Jacko found a baby's dummy, which he decided, in his little birdlike way, that he should share with his friend. So Jacko would hop down the street, dummy in beak, give it to the dog, who would have a suck, then Jacko would take it back home, and keep it until next play date. There is photographic evidence. After a couple of years, Jacko suddenly became quite aggressive. Expert advice was sought, and it turned out that Jacko was really a Maggie, who was eggbound, and needed a well, I'm sure you get my drift. Maggie was returned to her original flock on Muree golf course, where she would always greet Eunice when she came there to play.
a la Sidney Poitier in (I think), The Heat of the Night; it was with Rod Steiger, anyway; 'You can call me Mr Tibbs.'
Girls have a grey back of the neck, whereas male mags are white. You could have a variety of Tibbses; Mr, Mrs, Ms, Miss, Master.
Tibbs are also an Ethiopian dish, but I don't suggest you try cooking your magpies.
our flock help keep the horrible indian mynahs at bay, too, so you may be in luck.
Great comments above - said with respect! I like to keep things fairly simple vis a vis wildlife. For example/s:
How's your day so far bird?
That's enough dog.
and last and most expensive:
Hey wombat you realise how much your burrow under my car park is gonna cost?
And in case I forget - I hope Jim and all his commenters have a peaceful Christmas and a less exciting 2019.
kvd
Really nice story, JCW. Ididn't know that re names. It wasn't true in my environment! They were just bloody magpies! A bit like kvd's wombat, but far less destructive!
I like tibbsy. Or Tibsy to fit with that Ethiopian meal. I hadn't heard of that dish, but it sounds ok. https://honest-food.net/ethiopian-tibs-recipe/. I don't think I would use magpies, but I have wondered about going out with a net to capture pigeons. I good get a huge haul and pigeon pie has always interested me - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pigeon_pie.
I didn't know how to tell the difference between male and female magpies. Now i know. Checking, definitelt male.
And kvd, happy Christmas to uou from us all.
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