Magpies - love or hate them ?

[chijiki]

I've just watched 2 magpies kill a blackbird that had been sitting on 3 eggs. They removed the eggs in their beaks, laid them on the lawn undamaged, and then flew off. Should I be pleased to have witnessed a bit of raw nature, or (as I do) feel upset that the world is such a cruel place ?

[johntheplamf]

One for sorrow, two for joy, hmmm not very joyful for the blackbird then

[comloulou]

Both, be glad you have nature on your doorstep but also buy an air gun as nature is cruel. this is a joke not a call to arms.

[treaclefight]

if it's any consolation, my cat has taken out an entire gang of local magpies, 9 of them, only beaks and feet left (on my kitchen floor as a rule). We strongly suspect the blalckbird mafia of hiring the cat to carry this out. but it is a sad story, nature is cruel i agree.

[wildwood]

Yes Chijiki, Nature is a cruel environment. But fear not, backbirds, as a species, are very resilient and they will have another brood, probably somewhere else. If unchecked, there would be so many blackbirds that, for instance, the thrushes would disappear.

[bluedolphin]

Reading your post I was whisked back to Bladerunner ...the scene where Decker is interviewing one of the replicants.....and trying to invoke an emotional response to find out if the interviewee was human or not.

[treaclefight]

let me tell you bout my mother...

[treaclefight]

ok ive noticed its decker's inetrview now... that later in the film sorry