Thursday, July 8, 2010

Up to my neck in Magpies again

I can't seem to quit painting Magpies.


They are everywhere here.
As I waited for my daughter one morning, I watched the Magpie family that had nested across the street from her.  They'd stuffed nesting material into the top of a pyramid cedar tree.  Most of it was hanging out but somehow they managed to bring a family into the world.
She told me they were annoying because they woke her up every morning so I watched as the family hopped along the eves trough looking for bugs, drinking any standing water and generally poking their beak into every crevice and crack.                                                  
When they were finished with the eaves troughs  they checked out the windowsills, which was what my daughter complained about.  There's nothing like having a bird with a rather large beak tapping on your window first thing in the morning.

When they were done there, they swooped down into the garden where I know they'd eaten her sprouting vegetables and any near ripe fruit like strawberries and peas in the past and were hoping to find more.       
On the whole, it was very pest like behavior but still I can't help liking them. 




Finally, the reason for the name of the post was this necktie, it was fun to make.



  

3 comments:

  1. The sculpture pics are amazing.I haven't seen them very often, they almost sound close to a jay.Really nice colors, I can almost hear them tapping.

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  2. I love magpies too - I've never had any experience of them being a nuisance though. Maybe it would be different if I had, but they are such good-looking, PAINTABLE creatures!

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  3. They may be a pest...but sure do like how you paint them. This bird is on my wish-to-see list.

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