[Help] Protecting Garden Birds - Magpies - Advice Please

[nevergoagain]

Away from the other boring shit. I'm lucky enough to have a decent garden that attracts a wide variety of small birds, finches, tits, woodpecker etc. This year though we've got 2 sets of magpies that have nested and seem to have deterred the smaller birds from coming in and nesting. Now I don't want to upset nature and just shoot the magpies but I don't want to lose the lovely small bird population either. Any thoughts ?.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

Away from the other boring shit. I'm lucky enough to have a decent garden that attracts a wide variety of small birds, finches, tits, woodpecker etc. This year though we've got 2 sets of magpies that have nested and seem to have deterred the smaller birds from coming in and nesting. Now I don't want to upset nature and just shoot the magpies but I don't want to lose the lovely small bird population either. Any thoughts ?.

Buy a cat.

Preferably a Caracal

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Legal Control Methods Involving Magpies

Total Bird Control discusses legal control methods involving magpies. Read on to keep up to date!

www.totalbirdcontrol.co.uk

 

[GT49er]

Away from the other boring shit. I'm lucky enough to have a decent garden that attracts a wide variety of small birds, finches, tits, woodpecker etc. This year though we've got 2 sets of magpies that have nested and seem to have deterred the smaller birds from coming in and nesting. Now I don't want to upset nature and just shoot the magpies but I don't want to lose the lovely small bird population either. Any thoughts ?.

Personally I wouldn't bother about upsetting nature - magpies have been increasing in population hugely in recent years; having fewer of them would be no bad thing! The blighters nested near me - one morning, after the family had fledged, I had seven of the buggers attacking my bird-feeding station! Little birds conspicuous by their absence.
If I'd had the means I's have gladly taken a pot shot!

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Away from the other boring shit. I'm lucky enough to have a decent garden that attracts a wide variety of small birds, finches, tits, woodpecker etc. This year though we've got 2 sets of magpies that have nested and seem to have deterred the smaller birds from coming in and nesting. Now I don't want to upset nature and just shoot the magpies but I don't want to lose the lovely small bird population either. Any thoughts ?.

Don't mess with magpies, there will only be one winner...

Magpie swooping: Inside the Australian bird's annual reign of terror

Each spring, magpies swoop on countless unsuspecting victims while defending their nests.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

Magpies will eat the eggs and chicks of other birds, in fact they will eat virtually anything. We don't have them nesting in our garden, but nearby as our garden borders woods. If you can get at the magpies nests, get rid of them and that will be a start. We have "Roamwild" bird feeders that are squirrel and large bird proof (Woodpeckers are ok). If there isnt accessible food they should stay away

 

[Weststander]

I’ve pondered this before too. Alan Clark in his diaries I think mentioned trapping magpies then killing them, then unable to get over the guilt.

Interestingly for us, a pair of magpies have nested, but we have more small birds than ever. Nesting Robins and Blue Tits, visiting sparrows, woodpeckers and goldfinches.

I’d let nature take its course.

I’ve worked out that Grey Squirrels are a big cause of raided nests. Alien to the UK, the odds are stacked in their favour.

Perhaps our garden is a haven for birds because of steps taken to help them. Grow Teasels and don’t chop them down in winter for example.

 

[GT49er]

Legal Control Methods Involving Magpies

Total Bird Control discusses legal control methods involving magpies. Read on to keep up to date!

www.totalbirdcontrol.co.uk

So you can get a general licence (for a shotgun?) to kill them, but if you want to kill them in your garden they are unlikely to grant one? Hmmm.............

 

[Curious Orange]

Buy a cat

The magpies that were nesting in the tree in my back garden spent a a lot of time shouting at my cat, which she was not happy about!

 

[Westdene Seagull]

I can lend you my Springer Spaniel - he f***ing hates magpies - hence why we have none in our garden. You can have him for a week from Saturday if you feed and walk him !

 

[LamieRobertson]

Buy a cat

Nah get next doors to buy a cat….saves money and more efficient (next doors and other neighbours cats always seem to like coming into my garden)

 

[Zeberdi]

Away from the other boring shit. I'm lucky enough to have a decent garden that attracts a wide variety of small birds, finches, tits, woodpecker etc. This year though we've got 2 sets of magpies that have nested and seem to have deterred the smaller birds from coming in and nesting. Now I don't want to upset nature and just shoot the magpies but I don't want to lose the lovely small bird population either. Any thoughts ?.

I’d let the Magpies breed and raise young - they will disperse in a few weeks. Magpies are relatively solitary birds outside the breeding season.

You can help smaller birds by putting guards over any nest boxes and ensuring you are creating plenty of thick shrubs (preferably prickly ones) for nesting habitat and natural cover.

Btw your Woodpeckers are just as likely to raid nestboxes as Magpies and squirrels or cats, so putting guards over them is a good idea anyway.

 

[LamieRobertson]

The magpies that were nesting in the tree in my back garden spent a a lot of time shouting at my cat, which she was not happy about!

“Go away you’re scaring the birds?”

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Magpies will eat the eggs and chicks of other birds, in fact they will eat virtually anything. We don't have them nesting in our garden, but nearby as our garden borders woods. If you can get at the magpies nests, get rid of them and that will be a start. We have "Roamwild" bird feeders that are squirrel and large bird proof (Woodpeckers are ok). If there isnt accessible food they should stay away
View attachment 185440

Woodpeckers eat fledglings. I can remember Springwatch a couple of years ago, when a woodpecker discovered a blue tits nest. It was horrible.
That's why nesting boxes now have a metal edge around the entrance, so that woodpeckers can't peck at the wood to enlarge it.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Don't mess with magpies, there will only be one winner...

Magpie swooping: Inside the Australian bird's annual reign of terror

Each spring, magpies swoop on countless unsuspecting victims while defending their nests.

www.bbc.co.uk

That's not a magpie!

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

The magpies that were nesting in the tree in my back garden spent a a lot of time shouting at my cat, which she was not happy about!

Yep, and in my experience cars tend to catch the smaller birds. One of my cats tried to dispatch a seagull a few years ago. It was a pretty even fight and both left licking their wounds, seagull flew away making a terrible din and the cat slunk away mewling.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

That's not a magpie!

You wouldn't say that to its face

 

[southstandandy]

Had this issue a few years ago. Just used an old air rifle and took the buggers out. Small birds returned in a matter of days.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Time for this

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

Get rid of the Magpie's, evil b*&^ards, they rape and pillage until their heart's content.