Maggie's Place
This incredible nest and gorgeous contents (Australian Magpie chicks) is in the leafy canopy of a tall Jarrah tree just across the road from my place. The 'magpie clan' has been busy visiting the tree with mouthfuls of grubs gathered from our garden, and yesterday I noticed there were not one but TWO nests!
This afternoon I climbed the tree to get a closer look and was thrilled to capture this series of shots. Magpies have a reputation for swooping but I've climbed many nests in the past and had no trouble. Even so, I wore a hat and was prepared for the arsenal! Interestingly though, several members of the family group came and squawked me and did the occasional fly-by, but were mostly quite calm and sat quietly on nearby perches to keep a close eye on me.
You can see in this shot that the birds have used several pieces of wire to build their nest with. Even an old plastic zip-tie is visible! Industrial, clever, beautiful, and blessed with the most amazing carolling warbles to greet the dawn, magpies are truly a great Australian local.
Check this link for more photos of Australian bird nests:
www.simoncherriman.com/Simon_Cherriman/Portfolio/Pages/Au...
Maggie's Place
This incredible nest and gorgeous contents (Australian Magpie chicks) is in the leafy canopy of a tall Jarrah tree just across the road from my place. The 'magpie clan' has been busy visiting the tree with mouthfuls of grubs gathered from our garden, and yesterday I noticed there were not one but TWO nests!
This afternoon I climbed the tree to get a closer look and was thrilled to capture this series of shots. Magpies have a reputation for swooping but I've climbed many nests in the past and had no trouble. Even so, I wore a hat and was prepared for the arsenal! Interestingly though, several members of the family group came and squawked me and did the occasional fly-by, but were mostly quite calm and sat quietly on nearby perches to keep a close eye on me.
You can see in this shot that the birds have used several pieces of wire to build their nest with. Even an old plastic zip-tie is visible! Industrial, clever, beautiful, and blessed with the most amazing carolling warbles to greet the dawn, magpies are truly a great Australian local.
Check this link for more photos of Australian bird nests:
www.simoncherriman.com/Simon_Cherriman/Portfolio/Pages/Au...