WINGS OVER THE WORLD- M.A.G.P.I.E (MICROWAVE ASSISTED GROUP PIRATING INTEGRAL ELECTRONICS)
(BEST SEEN WITH BIG BIRD)
For some time now I've suspected that the magpies were using our clothes hoist to broadcast their covert signals.
Today I finally managed to document a trio of the birds engaged in surveilling the hoist prior to hooking up their communications gear.
While the grounded bird nonchalantly paces out the installation's coordinates his two co-conspirators maintain protective overwatch, pretending to drink from the bird bath, but in actuality standing by to alert their operative in case of detection.
I've received reports from fellow vigilant clothes line owners that they have identified similar operations in this vicinity but prudence dictates that we assume that this activity is widespread rather than merely localised.
Intercepts of the magpie signals translate directly as "Oi! Matttttte! There's a beaut bit a worm over here!" However, cryptographic deciphering reveals the hidden message, "All your base are belong to us".
Enough said I reckon.
Don't say you weren't warned....
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It doesn't get too much more dinky-di Aussie than magpies in a backyard with a Hill's Clothes Line.
Australian magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen) are quite formidably hefty birds, and these three white-backed cheeky lads are not particularly concerned by the two somewhat disturbed cats eyeing them from out of frame.
You can hear the distinctive, cheerful warbling carol of the magpies here:
www.abc.net.au/archives/sound/11.ram
New Zealand poet Denis Glover described their distinctive call as sounding something like "quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle...."
The shot's a little blurry 'cos it's taken through a house window, which I really should get around to cleaning if I expect to get more shots of birds coming in to drink, bath and run covert ops.
WINGS OVER THE WORLD- M.A.G.P.I.E (MICROWAVE ASSISTED GROUP PIRATING INTEGRAL ELECTRONICS)
(BEST SEEN WITH BIG BIRD)
For some time now I've suspected that the magpies were using our clothes hoist to broadcast their covert signals.
Today I finally managed to document a trio of the birds engaged in surveilling the hoist prior to hooking up their communications gear.
While the grounded bird nonchalantly paces out the installation's coordinates his two co-conspirators maintain protective overwatch, pretending to drink from the bird bath, but in actuality standing by to alert their operative in case of detection.
I've received reports from fellow vigilant clothes line owners that they have identified similar operations in this vicinity but prudence dictates that we assume that this activity is widespread rather than merely localised.
Intercepts of the magpie signals translate directly as "Oi! Matttttte! There's a beaut bit a worm over here!" However, cryptographic deciphering reveals the hidden message, "All your base are belong to us".
Enough said I reckon.
Don't say you weren't warned....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It doesn't get too much more dinky-di Aussie than magpies in a backyard with a Hill's Clothes Line.
Australian magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen) are quite formidably hefty birds, and these three white-backed cheeky lads are not particularly concerned by the two somewhat disturbed cats eyeing them from out of frame.
You can hear the distinctive, cheerful warbling carol of the magpies here:
www.abc.net.au/archives/sound/11.ram
New Zealand poet Denis Glover described their distinctive call as sounding something like "quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle...."
The shot's a little blurry 'cos it's taken through a house window, which I really should get around to cleaning if I expect to get more shots of birds coming in to drink, bath and run covert ops.