There was another one further up the garden. And maybe one or two more. Depends what version of the rhyme you subscribe to.

One for sorrow,
Two for mirth
Three for a funeral,
Four for a birth
Five for heaven
Six for hell
Seven for the devil, his own sel'

How many for a midnight visit from Jenny Hanley? (1970s Jenny Hanley - just found she is 22 years older than me, which is fine when you are in your 20s, but not when you are in your 50s)(I wasn't in my 20s when it was on)

Quote from: Ithoriel on 20 May 2020, 10:18:06 PM
One for sorrow,
Two for mirth
Three for a funeral,
Four for a birth
Five for heaven
Six for hell
Seven for the devil, his own sel'

I've been told (it was in Sussex) that you can avert the ill-fortune foretold by a single magpie by gripping your collar with the opposite hand,and hanging on until you see a second.

No, No, No, No, NO......If you see a single magpie you have to wave at it and  say "Good morning/afternoon/evening (as appropriate) Mr Magpie...How are you today ?"

There are dozens around Techno Towers. Every time I fill up the peanut holder, for the wee birds I end up spilling a few of the nuts on the ground.
Soon as I go back indoors there are up to four magpies that come down and filch the lot.

They TRY getting the nuts out of the holder (with not a lot of success).....In that they're beaten by smaller birds, a woodpecker, a couple of jackdaws, and very occasionally, a jay.

Cheers - Phil

For the apotropaic greeting, I was told it had to be "Good (morning...), Mr Magpie. Give my love to your wife and children." Which posits so many gender assumptions that I'd rather avoid it.

I've never worried about the whole magpie numbers thing, but last week they caught two young sparrows and my wife was not impressed. A permanent fixture in our garden now and one is sitting on the fence as I type.

Definitive.


No. That's it. Discussion closed.

Jenny Hanley said ... so it must be true.


Don't think these are Magpie era photos, but I think the point in made. 

I always heard one for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl and four for a boy...

Like Steve they've become a fairly permanent fixture in the garden now, sitting on the fence, attempting to get food out of the feeders, or else hopping about in the jungle (garden) looking for worms.

I'm not superstitious and confess after seeing a particularly plump one had a Google to see what they tasted like.

Not very nice apparently.

Last year we were woken in the early hours of the morning by the sounds of two magpies pecking to death a third outside. Vicious. They're practically human...

Quote from: Steve J on 21 May 2020, 06:05:55 AM
I've never worried about the whole magpie numbers thing, but last week they caught two young sparrows and my wife was not impressed. A permanent fixture in our garden now and one is sitting on the fence as I type.

There is a method you can use to solve this problem.Provided they sit still long enough.

.22 and a sniper sight... they can move all they like 

Sadly..as far as a lot of 'wild birds' are concerned.......You're not really supposed to 'off them', Mark.

Quote from: mmcv on 21 May 2020, 06:41:00 AM
Last year we were woken in the early hours of the morning by the sounds of two magpies pecking to death a third outside. Vicious. They're practically human...

Seen that with Ravens here.....About 20, in a circle, with one poor sod in the middle, in one of our fields....
The circle took it in turns to run in and 'have a go'.

Being a softie, I went and took the picked on one in the middle away..and tried to get it back to health.
I NOW know (from keeping chickens) that the one in the middle had a condition called 'wry neck'.....It wouldn't have survived in the wild, and didn't, even after my efforts.

Not sure if I did the right thing.....I may have prolonged its suffering by doing that.

Cheers - Phil

A fierce kitty would work  

Not with a raven, Ian.....

A domestic p*ssy cat wouldn't DARE to take on a bird that size.

(Like the time our very last cat was sitting on a big fence post....With a fully grown Buzzard sitting on the next fence post, about five feet away.....The cat looked at the Buzzard.....The Buzzard looked at the cat...... "You wanna to try your luck ?"

The cat did the usual...."No !.....I'll just pretend to ignore you.".....and slowly withdrew. 

Cheers - Phil

Quote from: ianrs54 on 21 May 2020, 09:55:15 AM
A fierce kitty would work  

Nevermore!