Not the post I wanted to make today

[meteordust]

I had to bury a magpie this afternoon. A cat had killed it.

The magpie was part of a family that hangs out on the lawn out the front. Two parents and a youngster who would hop around after them and still call loudly to be fed. It's always a joy to watch the magpies come by, browsing and feeding, and to see them bring around a new little one or two every spring, showing them the local neighbourhood.

I heard the magpies calling insistently this afternoon. Thought to myself, man, those youngsters are always so loud. Looked outside and saw two birds swooping and calling. Saw that they were swooping a cat. A cat that was next to a bird that was lying still.

I swore and ran downstairs as fast as I could.

By the time I got there, I saw no birds, no cat, only the parked car. I looked under it.

The damn cat crouched there looking back at me. It had dragged the magpie under the car, and was hiding from the angry human. The angry human was all, you think you can hide from me there, you bastard, but before I could do anything, the cat sensed my intent and ran for it. Smart move.

I took the magpie out from under the car. It was still warm, but it was already dead. The other two magpies were up in the tree, watching and calling.

I buried the magpie. I didn't want to just put its body in the bin. I didn't really know what else to do.

If you own a cat, please think before letting it roam outdoors.

Comments

[xfire.livejournal.com]

Magpies can be quite skilled at dealing with cats if they're used to living around them - the magpies up around my mother's house were quite adept at dealing with our cats when they were still alive - even to the point of successfully pinning the eldest of the two (who was quite a good huntress) underneath the family car. She had quite a healthy respect for magpies after that.

[meteordust.livejournal.com]

Yeah, of all the birds, magpies seem pretty capable of looking after themselves. Unfortunately, it seems like it didn't work out like that this time.