Magpies – Meet The New Neighbours

A sketch of a magpie protecting his patch.

Hi there, how are you?

Every year the birds come and nest in the huge sycamore tree on the other side of our fence. All of the little birds, blue tits, robins, sparrows, blackbirds even pigeons nested early this year.

The bigger birds crows and magpies normally keep to the small patch of woods not too far away, this year however there seems to be an abundance of magpies, and they’re every where!

Meet the new neighbours.

Usually the little birds gang together to mob the magpies or crows and chase them away because they will eat almost anything, including bird eggs and chicks.

The magpies have decided to move into the sycamore. Lucky the little birds have finished and fledged so, meet the new neighbours.

Mr & Mrs Magpie

I have taken a few photos throughout the week and decided to try and draw from them.

Magpies are black and white I know but as the sun catches their wings the feathers become iridescent and flash blue or turquoise.

A watercolour painting in my sketchbook.

Most of these have been drawn on a white background and I wanted to paint them sitting in the tree. This should really have been painted on watercolour paper but since I had already drawn the magpies in my sketchbook I just carried on adding colour (I need to use backgrounds more often because I really do need the practice)

It’s very exciting watching the wildlife in my own back yard..

Thanks for taking the time to stop by today. Till next time, have fun x