Wildlife Corner

[Stanley]

Cathy, what's the difference between a Magpie and a Butcher Bird?

[Cathy]

I think we have had this before.
From what I can gather, the Butcherbird (Magpie Lark) is smaller than the Magpie.

[Stanley]

Thanks Love, I thought that was it. I watch a YouTube channel called Cutting Edge Engineering and Kurtis has a pet Butcher Bird called George that will feed out of his hand.

[Tizer]

We had a Hummingbird Hawk Moth on our rosemary and pulmonaria flowers yesterday. Never seen one so early in the year before in Britain. Big and beautiful! Have a look at the video in this article: LINK

[Stanley]

I've never seen anything like that in Barlick Peter....
The last time I saw anything like it was in Berlin 70 years ago.......

[Cathy]

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Their eyes are different as well.
If I see a Magpie in my garden, it’s like “Whoa , give it some space.” They look like sergeant majors strutting around , doing an inspection.
They remember faces and I always say a few friendly words to them when I see them in gardens around here.
Hopefully they see me as non-threatening - I haven’t been swooped yet.

With the Magpie Larks, in some area’s they are called Pee Wee Maggie’s.

[Stanley]

I can see the difference Cathy...... Kurtis' birds are the Larks or Butcher Birds.....

[Cathy]

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A lovely surprise
I’m sure this beautiful visitor to my garden today is a Pied Butcher Bird.
They come in Grey/Black and White as well, very pretty.
I was so lucky to get the pic, it was only there for less than a minute.

[Tizer]

Well done, Cathy, it's a smart-looking bird!

[Cathy]

I did do well Tize.
I’d wandered into my kitchen and noticed something black and white happening thru the window of my dining room.
‘Oh! Oh Oh it’s one of those Butcher Birds, quick quick quick, where’s my phone? Oh , far out, it’s in the lounge. Quick!’
I had to slowly edge around the room so hopefully it wouldn’t notice me. I managed 3 photos, then it saw me and flew away.
Typical of trying to capture bird photos.

[Wendyf]

Well done Cathy. There was a curlew strolling around in the field yesterday, I had my phone but the curlew was too far away to get a good shot. I got my rarely used camera out of the cupboard, dashed back to the window and focused in on the bird just as it took off!

[Tizer]

I'd forgotten to mention this...a few weeks ago we looked out of the dining room window and there was a heron siting on the edge of our pond - and it's only a small pond, an area about the size of a desk. Luckily we have netting over it to keep the daft pigeons from trying to swim in it, so the heron `made an excuse and left'!

You might be wondering why I mention pigeons swimming. The park in the centre of Taunton has a small river running through and a big pond. People crowd around and throw bread into the water for the ducks. Pigeons have realised that they can grab some of it and now emulate the ducks!

[Stanley]

Lovely posts all of you!
Cathy, that bird looks just like George the magpie that feeds out of Kurtis' hand at Cutting Edge Engineering.....
Well done for getting the pic!

[Cathy]

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A Darter bird soaking up the sun at the Coomera River Weir in QLD.
It almost looks unreal. Reminds me of something you would see on the back of Elvis’s jackets.
Dave Arnold Photography.

[Stanley]

I would have christened that a cormorant Cathy.....