While walking along the perimeter of Holt Oval this afternoon I noticed a red and yellow ball laying near the base of a tree. It was one of those resilient, bouncy balls
that you throw from a hand-held launcher for your dog to chase and retrieve. Anyhow, an immature magpie approached the ball and gave it a powerful peck causing it to roll about 45 centimetres, bump the tree trunk and rebound. The startled young magpie sprang
into the air and fled to a nearby tree. Immediately four adults came hurtling in from out on the oval, surrounded the ball and pecked it vigorously then chased it to met out more punishment every time it stopped rolling. This continued for some seven seconds
until the birds ceased their attack and stood staring at the ball for a couple more seconds. Then, apparently sensing it was not a threat and no good to eat withdrew to resume feeding further afield.
John Layton
Holt.
