My Little POW's

It was back in October of 2008. Over seven months ago now then, that I caught a magpie, alive, somewhat by accident ~ and no small miracle. I don't want to go into the details here of how that came about. But it led to the story I'm about to relate.

See, finding this hapless bird in the most - for him - unfortunate circumstances and completely at my mercy, I actually stopped and considered the situation. Rather, that is, than automatically and without thinking, knocking him on the head.

Look at it from my point of view. It was October. Not a lot of nests active at that time of year. So he couldn't be up to much mischief. Fact that he was caught while picking over old chicken bones in my compost box rather proved what his existence was like at that approach to winter. And, anyway, he wasn't a Job. No body had noticed him. He hadn't been bothering anyone. There was nothing in it for me.

Upshot was, I took him in as a Prisoner Of War. He was, after all, the enemy. It would've seemed worse by far, to me, to have let him go free than to have knocked him off. Do that and I'd likely only end up killing him in the spring or summer anyway. Besides which, I'm far from a teenage kiddie with everything to prove to everyone. I have my own mind and that mind said to do as I did.

So it was he came to be transferred to my Larsen Trap (For a bloody good article on these things, which I just happened to stumble across, go have a look at this; Larsen Traps)

I set the trapping compartments, more or less as a matter of course. But, also to see what might happen. See, most people consider there to be a 'season' for Larsen trapping magpies. Spring and summer. I fancied trying out a little experiment.

Guess what? I had another one in days! I left that one in the trap too. Gave it a water drinker and started feeding them both their daily ration of a slightly less than golf ball sized portion of fresh, minced beef.

Then, sadly, inside a week my first one died. I suspect it was the shock of his mode of capture. Perhaps he'd sustained some physical injury that didn't show? Anyway, he fell off his perch, poor old thing. So I transferred the newer bird to the decoy section and got on with my life. For a couple of days or so. Then I caught another!

Now, let me tell ye; There's something rather endearing about these intelligent and soon to become trusting little birds. Take them out of the wider environment and what are they? Gone is the infuriating vision of merciless nest robbers. There's no primal challenge of the sly and sneaking target. They become, I can assure ye, just rather pretty and amusing little things who want nothing more than their breakfast each and every day.

Just to underline here; Magpies like to eat meat. It's the best - if not only - way we can provide their 'natural' diet (unless we intend to go about catching bugs and grubs for them on a gargantuan scale of time and effort!) Furthermore, they Must be fed Every Single Day, without fail. Miss a day? Bird dies. Simple as that.

I've also gone to extreme lengths to keep them protected from the prevailing elements. The trap is wrapped up against the winds and rains. But I've fitted a perspex sheet to the sunny side, so they can enjoy the light, without the rougher weather getting to them. They can't go hide in a birch tree, after all.

So, anyway, there they are. Hopping about in their Larsen Trap, up on my flat porch roof. They've been there for months now and are perfectly happy. They haven't a care in the world and they don't need to work for a living, nor fear being shot as they try to do so. And I'm honestly rather fond of them too. Every day I come up my ladder calling, " Hullo, birds! Here's ye breakfast. " And I check them over as I pop their balls of beef in for them. I'd miss it, if anything happened to them.

Of course, I dare say some of ye may be sitting there thinking; " Oh, come on, Ditch! Ye say ye fond of them, yet ye committing them to a dreary life inside a pokey little Larsen Trap?! " Fair point. Only ye see, I've been busy. Extremely busy. I've had a seemingly endless stream of things to do around here. But now I'm working my way through my 'next jobs'.

Here's my next 'next job'. I've been in touch with Sales and hope to have one shipped over here any time now. I look after my creatures. They'll have one of These.

Here's one of my little mates, look (Click for full picture);