Nature Fact

Magpies are members of the Crow family. They are notorious for their habit of stealing other birds’ eggs and chicks. It is worth watching magpies closely. They are constantly inquisitive and are known to hoard bright objects. Often they seem ‘visibly intelligent’ – soaking dry bread in a fishpond, for example, to make it easier to eat; then hiding the excess in a crevice in the rockery, carefully covering it with moss and grass pulled from the lawn.