Magpies...

My mum used to say it was unlucky to see a magpie and to ward off bad luck she would salute them and say "Morning Mr Magpie" or spit on her finger!
If we carried on this ritual these days me thinks we would be constantly saluting and spitting!
Magpie numbers have been on the increase for several years and every few years we have to control their numbers to some degree on the farm to try and keep some form of balance. In the past we have used a larsen trap which is a wire cage baited and checked every 24 hours.
Although there is no proof that where magpies are prevalent songbird numbers are lower, they do most certainly prey on young birds and nests, as poor old Mark and his goldfinches have found out.
What a shame - that photo of the baby looking direct into the camera is an absolute corker.