Re: birding-aus Magpie attacks - grudges, games, or genuine defence?

[Brian Fleming <>]

We used to throw meat trimmings and chop-bones onto the garage roof
for the benefit of Magpies, Little Ravens,Grey Butcherbirds and the odd
passing Kookaburra and Pied Currawong. The Magpies were confiding and
would take food thrown to them in the drive. My son took to feeding them
and soon got the nesting female Magpie to take food from his hands.
  One day when he'd been working on or rather under his car in the
garage, with the door open, he thundered into the kitchen, dashed to the
fridge and started to rip off a chop-tail with filthy greasy hands. When
I asked him what he thought he was doing, he cried: "I've got the magpie
really well-trained!  She walked in under the car and pecked me to ask
for some meat!"  My comment was: "Who's training whom?"  
   Anthea Fleming in Melbourne
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