At the end of March, I wondered, where are the magpies? In July, I noted that there were indeed magpies and helpfully I reblogged James Common’s excellent post on whether magpies do indeed “kill all the songbirds”
However the magpie resurgence in my garden has not ended. The level of feeding activity has certainly picked up – with very many greenfinches, quite a few sparrows, a robin or two, blue and great tits, the odd chaffinch, two pairs of collared doves, rooks and jackdaws. But no – or no visible – magpies. So again this little corner of South Tipperary seems to be an anomaly. Or is it simply the proximity of a rookery?
I’ve begun to put out some winter-focused feeds such as suet blocks and cut apples again to reasonable effect. Sunflower hearts are hugely popular with finches, and I am conscious that what i see reflects what food is out there as well as the local avian fauna.
Séamus Sweeney 