Little Fat Magpie

There is this little fat magpie in our backyard that I NEED a picture of to translate. But he's an early bird and I am not. He tries to chatter but only a call that sounds like a sneeze comes out. I think he gets discriminated against by the others. He's always alone.

Now I know all the stories about magpies being mean birds, but that's just the way they're made. When a pair of blackbirds nested in our backyard I was the first to chase the magpie out and feed hem with bread, hoping it would still his hunger for egg in the morning. BUT, for the magpie there's a place in this bird-world. This one is fat, can't chatter and along. Like PamelaAngus says; Fat birds need love too. And I couldn't agree more with her!

Also another thing that touches me is the way they build their nests: Large, unorganised and seemingly messy. My ideal place is just the same!

I'v read this interesting piece on the magpie: " Magpies are despised by almost everyone owing to being wrongly blamed for the widespread decline in many of our songbirds by preying on their eggs and nestlings. In fact, many of our songbirds are in decline owing to poor survival rates after leaving the nest, which has nothing to do with the Magpies. Also, Jays are responsible for taking as many eggs and nestlings as the Magpies, but do so less conspicuously and without blame." You can read more on British garden birds.

So this next illustration is in honor of the Magpie. If the fat little one won't show so I made this beautiful bird full grown instead. The result: