Magpie

In Today's Issue

Magpie Fact or Fiction
One for Sorrow
Battle Call
Random Joke of the Day


Magpie - The Truth

Magpies Don’t Like Shiny Things — They’re Scared of Them

Magpies have a reputation as thieves out to steal your shiny jewelry or take ornaments from your garden, but new research shows that flashy objects probably repel magpies. The myth seems to have built up without much science to back it up, but the truth could actually be useful.
Magpies are capable of wrecking crops by digging for grain, berries and other food, so along with other bird-scaring measures, placing shiny materials in fields might deter magpies and keep crops safe from being upturned and trampled.

Magpies Will Eat Almost Anything, Including Bird Eggs and Chicks

While their natural diet is quite broad — including insects, small rodents, grain and berries – magpies have been known to steal other birds’ eggs, and even young chicks.
In addition, magpies have adapted rather well to suburban living, so they’ll often eat leftover food scraps. But it’s better to provide them with proper bird food to ensure they don’t eat anything poisonous.

Magpies Are Closely Related to Crows, Jays and Ravens

Though they may look quite a bit different at first glance, magpies belong to the bird family Corvidae, a group that includes crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws and jays, as well as lesser recognized members like treepies, choughs and nutcrackers.
As such, magpies are among the most intelligent family of birds recognized by modern science. Which leads us to our next fact:

Magpies Recognize Themselves in Mirrors

European magpies have demonstrated the remarkable ability to recognize their own reflections in mirrors, something that was once thought to be a defining characteristic belonging only to humans. This might not sound that amazing, but out of countless species tested, only four ape species, bottlenose dolphins and Asian elephants have demonstrated this ability.
Scientists tested the magpies by placing a colored mark on their necks — which did not hurt or cause skin irritation. Then when placed in a cage with several mirrors, the birds were filmed scratching at their necks after looking at their reflections. With all other controls in place, this could only mean that magpies had recognized themselves in the mirrors. And not just that, the birds had differentiated between their normal physical state and their now-marked plumage.

For a really nerdy aside: Scientists believe that self-awareness in birds and certain mammals may be an example of convergent evolution, in which unrelated species evolve particular characteristics through different means. Another example of convergent evolution, and perhaps one of the best, is our very own set of camera eyes.

What is a Group of Magpies Called?

There are several names given to a group of magpies, but perhaps the most descriptive is “a parliament.” The birds have earned this title from often appearing in large groups in the spring, looking stately and cawing at each other.

To the End of the Tail

A final fascinating fact relates to one of the defining features of a magpie. While they share some similarities with their corvid family, the magpies possess an extremely long tail. In fact, a magpie’s tail is often roughly the same length as its entire body.
Why magpies have such long tails remains up for debate, but it may provide magpies with the ability to make swift turns while in the air. This would allow the birds to evade larger predators and make up for rather average flying abilities.




FOR SORROW 

The rhyme has its origins in superstitions connected with magpies, considered a bird of ill omen in some cultures, and in Britain, at least as far back as the early sixteenth century. The rhyme was first recorded around 1780

One for sorrow,
Two for joy,
Three for a girl,
Four for a boy,
Five for silver,
Six for gold,
Seven for a secret,
Never to be told.
Eight for a wish,
Nine for a kiss,
Ten for a bird,
You must not miss

 

 

Battle Cry

The machine gun Magpie 

Wakes me

It’s ack ack ack aural attacks

Aimed at its rivals

It dominates the garden war zone

As a conscientious objector

I hunker down in my bunker bed.

 

 

Random Joke of the Day

I've developed a new type of television that automatically mutes the sound everytime the adverts come on. If only there was some way i could let people know about it.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls... I present to you :-

The follow up to the award winning 'Tales of the Unaccepted'.
This time there are double the pages and double the twists...

I deal with a diverse number of subjects, such as....

The secret of Love...Vinegar ?
Networks... They are important, especially at 60,000 feet
What have magic and terrorism got in common ?
What if you ordered a ghost on Ebay but you couldn't open the packaging
How to get away with the perfect murder....a step too far ?

As usual there is a think, but pumping, vein of humour running through this release.

It may make you smile, it may make you think...it will make you shudder !!

On Amazon paperback and kindle now, we be released on other platforms soon..

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1717812686/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1531909384&sr=8-4&keywords=neville+raper