Australian Magpies are quite big birds, related to crows and ravens but not as big as those birds. When the magpie bathes in the pond, it sits on the little step half way in and it's claws make a lot of scuffling and scratching as it dunks parts of itself in. They are the most fascinating birds to learn about, with a very lovely song. Many Australians hate them because they sometimes swoop and peck people in nesting season. They learn to know the people who live near them and only attack unfamiliar or unfriendly people. I love them, they eat a lot of pests like lawn grubs (Christmas beetle larvae). My magpies know me and my habits: they know what I'm doing when I feed the chickens, and hang around to see if I'll leave the food unwatched for a minute while I'm in one of the pens. Sometimes I put some food on the ground for them to eat, but they won't do it while I'm watching, they prefer to steal it behind my back. Once there was a young Magpie that was tame for some reason, and used to let us hold it. It would stand at the back door and if we opened it would walk inside! It used to play like a child, sliding down the kids' slippery dip or hanging by its feet upside down from washing on the line! Once you have known a Magpie that closely you always love them!
