Magpie transportation service
Discussion
Today I found, albeit accidentally, a way to move a magpie from one county to another.
Heading along the A14 I came to a clear section of road upon which there were perhaps 15 birds tucking into a late breakfast of roadkill. They seem quite engrossed so I flashed the headlights to warn of them of my imminent arrival. As I bore down on them at 70mph, deciding which course to steer to minimise impacts, half the birds flew away to the left. The other half flew away to the right. Alas the bird in the middle had left it too late and disappeared underneath the car. I looked in the mirror but didn't see anything in the road behind.
Thinking no more of it I carried on my way.
About 45 minutes later I arrived at my destination, and to get in I needed to stop and open a gate. Walking back to the car I saw a white feather in the lower grille. I went to pull it out, and to my slight horror saw a black leg sticking out. I braced myself to extract the remains of the bird and place it under a hedge. But before I could bend down, the leg twitched... In just a few seconds, as I stood dumbfounded, a rather ruffled magpie extracted itself from the lower grille, dropped to the ground and half ran, half flapped into nearby cover.
I didn't follow it - there was nothing I could have done - but nature will take its course one way or the other. If it's the good way, I hope he enjoys his new home in rural Cambridgeshire. I can't believe he was stuck in that grille at speeds up to 70mph for 45 minutes, and walked away....
Heading along the A14 I came to a clear section of road upon which there were perhaps 15 birds tucking into a late breakfast of roadkill. They seem quite engrossed so I flashed the headlights to warn of them of my imminent arrival. As I bore down on them at 70mph, deciding which course to steer to minimise impacts, half the birds flew away to the left. The other half flew away to the right. Alas the bird in the middle had left it too late and disappeared underneath the car. I looked in the mirror but didn't see anything in the road behind.
Thinking no more of it I carried on my way.
About 45 minutes later I arrived at my destination, and to get in I needed to stop and open a gate. Walking back to the car I saw a white feather in the lower grille. I went to pull it out, and to my slight horror saw a black leg sticking out. I braced myself to extract the remains of the bird and place it under a hedge. But before I could bend down, the leg twitched... In just a few seconds, as I stood dumbfounded, a rather ruffled magpie extracted itself from the lower grille, dropped to the ground and half ran, half flapped into nearby cover.
I didn't follow it - there was nothing I could have done - but nature will take its course one way or the other. If it's the good way, I hope he enjoys his new home in rural Cambridgeshire. I can't believe he was stuck in that grille at speeds up to 70mph for 45 minutes, and walked away....
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