Sunday 30th January (One for Sorrow, two for Joy)

Mr. Kite looked out of his bedroom window to see two magpies eating chips. Now living a hundred metres away from a chippy that sells crisp tasty golden chips it is not surprising that in the morning a few chips are scattered around the area. Staggering drunks often feed the birds inadvertently. Mostly black-headed gulls have the pleasure of a good chip but today it was the turn of the magpies.

Reading that the magpie population is increasing and that a scientific cull is planned to decide whether magpies and carrion crows are responsible for the decline of the song bird Mr. Kite was going to have a tour around admiring the magpie. Starting with the two chip eaters Mr. Kite was impressed by the way they  emptied the contents of the polystyrene container onto the ground before holding the chip in their feet and devouring it.

Now today Mr. Kite bought a newspaper before his bike ride. This paper had a picture of a magpie and a recent quote about a lord caught fiddling and alluded to 'the thieving magpie'. Who does Mr. Kite have more sympathy for a thieving magpie or a thieving lord? The gregarious chattering magnificent magpie of course. Put the lord in a cage.

About midday Mr. Kite set off in the sunshine on a magpie appreciation tour. He saw a few on the way to Atcham and a few more in Attingham Park where they flew between the trees. Their large bodies and long tails stood out as they glided onto branches with such precision. On the return trip Mr. Kite watched three more hopping about on the ground bouncing along jerkily, noisily and confidently.

Mr. Kite gave plenty of encouragement to these birds and thought to himself; before blaming the demise of the British song bird on the magpie why not have a few years where pheasants and red-legged partridge are not reared and released into the countryside to be shot. Let the countryside have a few years where alien birds are not released into the woods, fields and copses and study if the number of song bird still continues to decline.

Anyway after watching magpies, and  supporting them, until some conclusive evidence is produced Mr. Kite cycled home in the fading light for a tipple. Todays tipple was Wells Bombardier Burning Gold. Good health to all the magpies.