Magpies; Curious Things .....

My old bird was finally off his perch, this morning. No surprise. No regrets. No heads hung in sorrow and mourning.

Not because he was 'Just' a magpie. A piece of vermin. A worthless egg thief. Because he wasn't. He was none of those things. Not for the better part of a year, at least. Because that's how long he'd been with me. As one of my little Prisoners Of War. And, as such, he'd received the very best of treatment. That's why he lasted so long.

Anyway, if ye want to read about my POW's origins, look it up on here. I introduced them some time ago. And this was the older of the two birds. I believe a parent to the one I kept in the trap compartment of my Larsen, having caught that one second.

I'd known the older bird was going, for some time now. He'd got shabby. Shabby as fuck, in fact. Quite disgusting, really. Wouldn't have survived like it, in the wild. His feathers were all dirty and loose hanging. Even his wings tended to droop, of late. Ye don't see birds like that in the wild state. Not twice ye don't. One of his toes had curled up. Right fucking mess he was in. It was only his effortless life of luxury that kept him going.

Sheltered from every element. Protected from predators. Fed like a God. All he had to do was wake up. Await his feeding. Eat. Sit watch the world go by ~ warning other maggies that this was his patch. Then settle down for the night. Last nights kip will never end for him.

Never mind. I still have the youngster. The one I caught with him as Call Bird. I imagine this is one of his brood. And the young 'ns as tight feathered, bright and bouncy as a magpie should be. And how she screamed when I caught her up today! Screeched blue murder, as I put my hand in there and caught her by the leg. Couldn't catch much else at that angle. Soon made sure I got a more comfortable and less, potentially, injurous grip on her body.

I wanted to put her into the big, double 'Call Bird' compartment, see? Give her the bigger cage now. Popped her in there and was thoroughly amused to see her bopping about all over the place for hours afterwards. Exploring all this new room to move about in. Obviously loving it too. Good. Happy bird.

Of course, I realised I'd have to catch a fresh one now. Company ~ through the mesh, of course ~ for her. And a back up for me. I figured I'd get round to that. Other things on my plate just now. I had a project to do, on here. That took me from about 14:00 to 17:00. Then I had to sort my horses out. Finally settling down to consider a spin of the Play Station by 18:00.

And that's when I happened to glance out and see a splendid looking 'pie flying off my front gate. " That'll do me. ", I thought. And I went out, up the ladder and set the trap. Fiddly business, hanging over the top of a ladder as I was. But, I did my best. Dropped a ball of minced beef in there. Then I rejoined my oppo's in the fantasy SAS and went off and won yet another battle in the war torn Kuwait of PS2 land.

22:00 tonight, I just let the Dogs out and glanced up at the trap. Couldn't see fuck all in the dark. That niggled me, so I came in and got my torch. Just as I'd suspected; Fucking thing had fired off, due to the bouncing around of the youngster there. Thinking on how a fired on empty trap catches nothing, I resignedly climbed the ladder.

Fuck me! That was fast! Two for breakfast then .....