One for sorrow...

lintdrummer

Good evening everybody!

I came home from a weekend down the country about 2 hours ago to find a magpie sitting in a potplant in the window of our apartment stairwell. Please excuse the poor image quality:


This is a shared stairwell between two 1st floor apartments, there is nothing on the ground floor except the door outside.

He was quite still and didn't budge as we passed him no more than a foot away. I took a chair out to get a closer look at him because the window is quite high. He didn't appear distressed but I suspect that he has been here since at least yesterday (our neighbours generally go away at the weekend too, so he probably got in the main door at some point on friday or saturday and his been locked in since).
I threw some bread up for him, he took a piece and flew up to the bannister outside our door:



He held the bread for a good while before eventually eating it. I took the opportunity to open the window and brought out a bowl of water. He really lets me get very close before flinching at all.
Anyway the hall lights are on a timer switch and only stay on for about 2 mins at a time, so do people think he is probably going to stay put as it gets pitch dark out there? I tried to encourage him to go back towards the window by making noise and waving etc. but after ignoring me for ages he just flapped down onto the stairs.
I'm thinking he's either injured (unlikely as he flew up to bannister ok and doesn't appear to be hurt) or he's exhausted and disorientated.
I've left the window open and the bowl of water with a little more bread beside him. Does anyone have any other suggestions on how to get him to go back outside?

Thanks!

Kovu

He's probably exhausted himself bashing against the window trying to escape.

If you can get that close to him, perhaps try to throw a towel over him and let him out. Do the lights come on automatically when you step onto the landing?
If not, you could wait until it's dark & then dazzle him with a torch and catch him that way.

Oh & maybe not bread, a bit of meat would be more suitable for a magpie.

lintdrummer

Thanks for that, I've some ham in the fridge that he might eat ? I'll see if he moves at all, I'll think about the blanket idea if there's no progress. The lights aren't automatic, there's a switch.

Kovu

lintdrummer wrote: »

Thanks for that, I've some ham in the fridge that he might eat ? I'll see if he moves at all, I'll think about the blanket idea if there's no progress. The lights aren't automatic, there's a switch.

He may eat ham, they're scavengers so try anything. May be a bit hard to pick up for him though!
They're tough yokes so you can scare them quite a bit without fear of them keeling over. Another option is to have a light shining down at the door and try to shoo him towards it with the other lights off so he goes towards the door light (if you get my drift)

God they'll lynch me over in farming if they see me offering advice on saving a mag!:D

DBB

Kovu wrote: »

God they'll lynch me over in farming if they see me offering advice on saving a mag!:D

Crossposting to F&F now







:pac::D

Kovu

DBB wrote: »

Crossposting to F&F now


:pac::D

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

DBB

Kovu wrote: »

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

What's it worth to you to stop me?

Kovu

DBB wrote: »

What's it worth to you to stop me?

Eh......I'll name our next calf DBB

DBB

Kovu wrote: »

Eh......I'll name our next calf DBB

Ehhhh... yay?

Kovu

DBB wrote: »

Ehhhh... yay?

Ok....I won't name the next calf after you .... and here's Kovu's daughter as cuteness bribery!




Eh sorry OP.....blame DBB!