Post by tonib on Apr 26, 2019 22:22:23 GMT
This afternoon I had someone come round to quote for some fencing work & when I took them to the back of the garden there was something odd on the lawn close to edge, from a distance it looked like a tennis ball but then I realised it was a rather plumb fledgling. It was alive but not moving. It was brownish & I thought it was about the size of a small blackbird but plumper
At that point Lexie appeared so I grabbed her & shut her in, the 2 boys were also out but no sign. After the fencers had gone it was still in the same place. Osiris was at the front & I managed to get him in but Roman was still out somewhere.
I was wondering what to do as I know the recommendation is to leave them alone but with so many cats around that wasn't really an option. So I decided to ring the RSPCA for advice. I was on hold for sometime so went to look out the kitchen window to check it was still there & was horrified at what I saw & heard.
There were 3 blackbirds (1 female & 2 males) flying & squawking around the middle of the lawn as well as landing & charging at a big magpie that was on the ground there. In horror I saw that it had the baby bird in the middle of the lawn & was pecking away at it whilst defending itself from the parents.
I cancelled the call & the magpie then flew up into the tree & continued to be harassed by the parents but it was too late for their baby. I called on my neighbour to dispose the poor soul because, as some of you know, currently I'm limited in the use of my right hand due to having had it operated on just over 2 weeks ago. He was as surprised as I was that this could happen like that, I'd been concerned that one of the cats would get it but hadn't thought of anything like a magpie.
apologies if anyone found this a bit too graphic
At that point Lexie appeared so I grabbed her & shut her in, the 2 boys were also out but no sign. After the fencers had gone it was still in the same place. Osiris was at the front & I managed to get him in but Roman was still out somewhere.
I was wondering what to do as I know the recommendation is to leave them alone but with so many cats around that wasn't really an option. So I decided to ring the RSPCA for advice. I was on hold for sometime so went to look out the kitchen window to check it was still there & was horrified at what I saw & heard.
There were 3 blackbirds (1 female & 2 males) flying & squawking around the middle of the lawn as well as landing & charging at a big magpie that was on the ground there. In horror I saw that it had the baby bird in the middle of the lawn & was pecking away at it whilst defending itself from the parents.
I cancelled the call & the magpie then flew up into the tree & continued to be harassed by the parents but it was too late for their baby. I called on my neighbour to dispose the poor soul because, as some of you know, currently I'm limited in the use of my right hand due to having had it operated on just over 2 weeks ago. He was as surprised as I was that this could happen like that, I'd been concerned that one of the cats would get it but hadn't thought of anything like a magpie.
apologies if anyone found this a bit too graphic