One Spring, a pair of Magpies built a nest in a tree just outside my window and hatched only one bird. The pair immediately started another nest so the lone baby bird sat in the tree watching its parents.
Then one day when my cat was on the balcony, the young Magpie flew over and sat with the cat. The cat only meowed so the bird became a regular visitor. I set out cat food in a bowl for the two of them.
By the end of summer the cat died; then afterwards, every day the young Magpie would sit on the balcony railing looking for the cat; it was sad watching her sitting there... waiting.
I continued setting out cat food for the bird, and calling her, "kitty, kitty". She would respond by chirping.
One time I chopped an apple into tiny, tiny bites, and placed them on top of the kitten chow. The Magpie threw every piece of apple on the balcony floor, then ate the cat food.
Late one night the neighbor's cat ran outside and the neighbor asked me to help find it. I was outside, running around in pitch dark calling, "Kitty, kitty" and from a tall tree the Magpie began chirping as if to say, "what? what?"
When cold weather arrived, I realized the neglected bird hadn't been taught survival skills by its parents so I fed her kitten chow all winter, and the following year.
After the second winter she began to find Magpie friends, then this year she mated; they built a nest and reared their family. Every day, she still comes to the balcony and waits for the saucer of kitten chow. When her entire family shows up, I have to serve kitten chow on a large meat platter.
They’re just souls in animal and bird suits.
When her entire family shows up, I have to serve kitten chow on a large meat platter.<<<
It is wonderful that you are so good to all of God’s creatures, you are a special person.
It would be interesting to follow you around, as you call all your “Kitties”.
Smiling and thinking of how lucky some of God’s creatures are to live near you.
Here I have Cactus Wren, year around, a larger bird, maybe the next size up from a Magpie.
They are bossy and very territorial.
Many times, I have watched the feral cats eating, seen the Cactus Wrens decide they wanted to eat and they come swooping down from the big Mulberry tree, AND the cats will move to the far edge of the porch and wait for the birds to finish their meal and then come and eat what is left.
This has been going on for years.
I was working in the garden one time, all bent down and out of site, when a pair came to do garden patrol and I watched them turn over ever dried manure particle and check for bugs, they kept chattering and working so hard, that I stayed hidden and watched.
When I had parrots and cockatiels in cages in the house, the Cactus Wren thought nothing of coming in and eating with my birds, not something I wanted done, as they do carry diseases that I don’t want started in the cage bird world.
I would find droppings, of the wild birds on the outside trays my cages sat in, and then caught a bird—visiting.