fenboy Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 I have a golf driving range opposite my house today when walking the dogs as I went past I noticed a large "murder" of magpies , I estimated there were at least 25-30 all sitting within a few feet of each other , I turned round and went home for the camera but typically they had all gone when I returned 5 mins later . Anyone else seen a bunch as large as this ? Think I better dust down the HW97 and tempt some in my direction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 not quite as many as that fenboy but a year or two ago i had around seventeen in the tree at the bottom of my garden. i got my camera but by that time there was only ten in the tree. quite a sight really. theres quite a lot get trapped each year not far from here aswell. a footpath runs under the tree so not a viable shot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted January 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Thanks for the pic . I am going to put a plan into action and nail a few of them as there are always several around . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Mike Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 The most I have ever counted was 43 in two oak trees in the Gatcombe valley near Nailsworth about 10 years ago. Us birders know them as a Tidings or a Conventicle..although they are members of the crow Family and their feeding habits would make the term "Murder" more appropriate Strange but when I think of Magpies I always get the vision of a Bra less Jenny Hanley.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miroku moocher Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 (edited) i shot 26. in probably around 2mins ''some years ago . on a mates permssion. it was just a feld and a small wood''**** real'y'' we used to drve down the path and shoot the odd rabbt corvid or pigeon out the car wndow. on ths occason it was dusk tme late winter last knockns of day light, we drove down the path towards the wood and there was probably a hundred plus magggeis in and around the wood. we parked up and. I started pluggn em out the window with me webley raider. twin shot.. rangng from 20 to 30 yards they were easy enuff to shoot got a few doubles'' as quckly as I reloaded I was shootn another. then they just moved off across the road into an industiral eastate..good while it lasted Edited January 14, 2014 by miroku moocher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEADLY PLUMBER Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 The most I have ever counted was 43 in two oak trees in the Gatcombe valley near Nailsworth about 10 years ago.Us birders know them as a Tidings or a Conventicle..although they are members of the crow Family and their feeding habits would make the term "Murder" more appropriateStrange but when I think of Magpies I always get the vision of a Bra less Jenny Hanley.. Bra less Jenny Hanley Mmmmm as a teenage lad she was hot. Good memories. Thanks for bringing that back to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 i shot 26. in probably around 2mins ''some years ago . on a mates permssion. it was just a feld and a small wood''**** real'y'' we used to drve down the path and shoot the odd rabbt corvid or pigeon out the car wndow. on ths occason it was dusk tme late winter last knockns of day light, we drove down the path towards the wood and there was probably a hundred plus magggeis in and around the wood. we parked up and. I started pluggn em out the window with me webley raider. twin shot.. rangng from 20 to 30 yards they were easy enuff to shoot got a few doubles'' as quckly as I reloaded I was shootn another. then they just moved off across the road into an industiral eastate..good while it lasted Really? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin-till Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Bra less Jenny Hanley Mmmmm as a teenage lad she was hot. Good memories. Thanks for bringing that back to me. yep she was definitely hot as a lad? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul taylor Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 I had about 20 25 lift off a bank around the slurry pit yesterday I didn't get a shot off though cos they flew towards the motorway as usual :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Actionpigeons Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Love the old saying, murder of magpies, charm of Goldfinches and so on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
955i Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Love the old saying, murder of magpies, charm of Goldfinches and so on Thought it was a murder of crows, or does this apply to magpies as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Actionpigeons Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Thought it was a murder of crows, or does this apply to magpies as well? I think it can apply to all corvids Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
955i Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 I think it can apply to all corvids I know that ravens are either called a Parliament or strangely an Unkindness Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Actionpigeons Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 I know that ravens are either called a Parliament or strangely an Unkindness I have heard of the Parliament of Ravens but the other two are new on me but they sound good. We will have to leave it to PW members to give the answer about the murder of Crow/Magpies or both Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
955i Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Lots here: http://www.britishbirdlovers.co.uk/articles/collective-nouns-for-birds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Actionpigeons Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Just goggled it it seems it can be used for both crow and magpies. Answer A group of magpies has a number of names. They can be called a tiding, gulp, murder, charm or a tittering. Magpies are believed to be among the most intelligent of all animals as they are able to recognize their images in a mirror test. a murder of crows-This more poetic term for a flock of crows can be traced back at least to the 15th century, when it was recorded as a murther of crowes.Murther is a variant of Middle English murthre 'murder,' though the thsound had begun to be replaced with a d around 1300 C.E. There are several theories as to how this particular term came about, but all of them have to do with the supposed behavior of crows. For instance, crows are scavengers and therefore often seen feeding on rotting bodies of various sorts. Survivors of wars have described how the battlefields were covered in black as crows (and ravens) came down to eat the dead. Another theory hearkens back to old folklore which told of groups of crows essentially holding court over members of their flock that had committed offenses. If they decide against the "defendant" crow, then the rest of the flock swoops down on it and kills it. There are legends outside of the Germanic culture that relate to crows being judges over people as well, and how their appearance is an omen of death. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
backatit Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Just read an article in the RSPB magazine about the results of their garden bird watch survey, magpie numbers are up 129% since 1979 Robin . Starling and Blackbird numbers are down in the same period, now I am not a scientist but may there be a link somewhere here and maybe we will all see increasing numbers of Magpies in our area's and a steady decline of all garden birds because as we know they have no natural predators in this country. Also in the article Wood pigeon numbers up by a staggering 923%, think we all need to be getting out there more to help protect crops from what is obviously a massive increase in the wood pigeon population. Just my thought's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garden gun Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 Yup, the bunny huggers/tree huggers are going on about stuff they know nothing about. Sonbird numbers down, corvid and squizzer numbers up. hedgehog numbers down, badger numbers up. Coincidence? Corvids and squzzers feed on eggs and chicks, badger loves Mrs Tiggywinkle. control corvids and badgers - nope they are "cuddly" - makes my blood boil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gutty Boots Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 We dont have any Magpies this far north, the most northerly I have seen them was around Stirling a good few years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottk Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 Quality thread this, murder and charm of magpies! Excellent! I am having a wrestle with a murder of magpies at the moment and they are smart cookies! Certainly don't decoy as easy as the crows and rooks! To be honest I think I can here them laughing at me every Sunday now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yod dropper Posted January 31, 2014 Report Share Posted January 31, 2014 (edited) A few times of 30+ but not for a little while now, the first time I couldn't hardly believe it. The more time I spend out and about the more things I see, sometimes the sort of things other people might not believe. Edited January 31, 2014 by yod dropper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longbower Posted January 31, 2014 Report Share Posted January 31, 2014 I regularly see about 15-20 in the sittee trees on the Industrial Estate where we park the trucks in our yard. I would term it a 'parliament' of maggies, just because like MP's they make a lot of noise and are full of ****. But no shots available. Pigeons everywhere , feral and woodies, and loads of poop. Strange , but lately NO rabbits , not a one, where there were a good dozen or so on a regular basis. Probably DROWNED. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outlander Posted January 31, 2014 Report Share Posted January 31, 2014 I always say hello to the first magpie of the day with a "Hello Mr Magpie hows the wife and kids" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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