Detering Magpies

[mbaylis]

Does anyone know how I can go about detering magpies from nesting in a tree behing our garden? They have been nesting there for the last couple of years and are basically bullies. They never use the feeders but they will scare/attack birds that do.

A complication is that we have a cat and to keep it (and me) happy I have to put food outside first thing in the morning. Unfortunately, the little perishers feed on the scraps. I will have to devise a place where the cat can get to it but the magpies can't.

Cheers,

Michael

[Kerry L]

Dear Michael
It's a tough one, unfortunately. I did spot an item in the Times today about a person who goes round ridding areas of pests of all sorts, including shooting magpies, and he was based in Berkshire. Some farmers trap them and either release them elsewhere, or kill them. We had lots of magpies some years ago, and just when it got a little too much, they disappeared - all of them for about 2 years. Now we have only a small number, which still leads to stress for the smaller birds. But that's life.
Perhaps contacting some sort of pest controller might be of use for you if you are at the end of your tether.
Regards, Kerry