Sunday, February 15, 2009

I'VE GOT A FRIEND


Friend and freeloader. I had my breakfast outside before the smoke haze became too bad and she (that's a he up there) landed on the table, walked up to the plate and waited for the toast to be given up.
Our magpies are from the Shrike family, which are agressive hunters, rather than the crow family. They're attracted to shiny things, no wonder they like me. In Greece they're sacred to Bacchus the God of wine so they're associated with intoxication.
It was interesting to watch the bird up close and personel. All I could think of was Sam Neill in Jurassic Park, explaining how birds evolved from the velociraptor. The head moved the same way as the raptors in the film and this one's beady eyes never left my toast for a minute.
Her mate turned up but wasn't as adventurous, he stayed on the roof while she finished the crumbs and stood on the back of a chair.
They both started to carroll and it was the best part of the morning. The eyes were upon me though and I was compelled to hand over the rest of my breakfast. Freeloaders.

13 comments:

Ozfemme said...

So "pissed as a parrot" is not correct then...

it's "messy as a maggie."

Brian Hughes said...

Hows that old rhyme go now...one for sorry, two for joy, three just about fits in a pie if you hit 'em with a mallet first and tuck the pastry in carefully...

River said...

Be sure to make extra toast next time.

Anonymous said...

Isn't the sound of maggies warbling just gorgeous.

You are shiny Jahteh? Glittering jewellery or bleeding make up?

Jayne said...

Oh, lovely!
My cousin has a whole troop of them that wait on her doorstep, and 1 (whom she calls "Shyte-head")actually gets into the house, marches up to the fridge door and raps on it with his beak demanding tucker.
Yes, as River said - make extra toast!

Davoh said...

mm, strange bedfellows. last week or so a Kookaburra flew in through the back door of the annexe and into the van, sat on the shelf above the stove, probably looking for shade. Sorry laddie, hotter in here than out there. Was so stressed that I could just gently take him and put outside. Very rarely see them near. Came back a few days later, sat on a branch close by. Chortled a bit, must have survived.

River said...

Davo, you put him outside and GAVE HIM WATER,right? RIGHT?

Maja said...

I think of the velociraptors when I watch the maggies behind our house too. They're so cute. We feed ours birdseed, they go too crazy for the meat. They absolutely LOVE peanuts. I love their songs, but they can get a bit loud at times. It's funny when they watch you eat and kind of smack their beaks a bit.

JahTeh said...

'Pissed as a parrot' is a new one for me, must be a South Australian saying. I always thought crazy as a loon meant lunatic until I found out a loon was a bird at least I think it is but I might be wrong or crazy.

Poms and their pies, don't ya just love 'em.

River, a loaf of bread wouldn't be enough for my backyard.

Andrew, we both love shiny things so if you invite me over, hide your goodies or I'll magpie them away.

Jayne, give them an inch and they'll take a mile. I just had a look out back and there are ten birds under the apple tree again and the two maggies.

Davo, you've surfaced. Greensmile was worried about you and the fires. River's right, you did give him water, didn't you? With ice cubes?

Maja, I love that film and watching a maggie up close, you can see the intelligence and the contempt when you give them a crumb that's too big.

Ampersand Duck said...

I remember hearing some boffin on the radio saying that when Magpies are singing at their sweetest, they're about to do some serious damage :)

Pissed as a parrot is pretty common, methinks. At least in these climes. I always think of those scruffy bushman parrots in The Magic Pudding.

Middle Child said...

I love my three maggies...they carrol me so often and some days are all i see and interact with apart from the cat...

Middle Child said...

"Pissed as a Parrott" is a saying our family uses and Don's especially they came from Moree..he had many colourful phrases

JahTeh said...

Duckie, except for the 'droppings' problem, there's been no trouble yet. It's the 'I want it now' attitude.

Therese, my education has been lacking as I've never heard pissed as a parrot and I thought my Dad knew the lot.