loads of magpies!

[stu200sx]

over the past 2 weeks ive noticed a group of 3 magpies in my estate.

however over the last few days they seems to be more and more!

 

today one was in the tree in the back garden so i shot it, it fell out the tree bouncing off a few branches and landed in a neighbors garden!.

 

with in 10 min there was 5-6 other magpies in the garden where the dead 1 fell! one of them went over to the dead one and started pecking it and rolling it.

 

 

any 1 got any ideas why all these magpies have started gathering?

[chunk]

over the past 2 weeks ive noticed a group of 3 magpies in my estate.

however over the last few days they seems to be more and more!

 

today one was in the tree in the back garden so i shot it, it fell out the tree bouncing off a few branches and landed in a neighbors garden!.

 

with in 10 min there was 5-6 other magpies in the garden where the dead 1 fell! one of them went over to the dead one and started pecking it and rolling it.

 

 

any 1 got any ideas why all these magpies have started gathering?

 

They join up to make flocks this time of the year. During the breeding season they are territorial and wont tolerate invaders.

[Country Boy]

Magpies live within a hierarchy group system which encompasses a territorial range of approximately 2 square miles, they can communicate only with fellow members of the group, and they congrigate when either an 'alien' magpie strays into their territory (which is precisely why Larssen Traps often work well when the call bird used has been caught in a different area) or when the oldest bird of the group expires - which is clearly what happend when STU shot the one in his garden! He shot the leader!!