Bella and the magpies

I've just been watching Bella in the garden having a right old argument with a family of magpies. Very funny!!

In fact, it's not the first time - they seem to have built up quite a relationship, and have endless conversations. That is, until more and more magpies come to join in, and Bella just gets really frustrated and runs indoors complaining all the way.

I've got a small garden, but it's got a lovely silver birch tree in the corner, and plenty of shrubs all around. I love having birds come to visit, so always make sure there's food in the garden for them. Bella loves it too, and can spend ages sitting the shrubbery under the tree cackling away at them. They know she's there, and she knows they know - it's almost as though they have a respect for each other.

Now and again she'll adopt the pose, especially if there's a bird on the lawn and she's hidden somewhere. But the birds know exactly what she's doing, and I think have fun teasing her. They know they can always get away, even though she's very quick. And she knows this too, although she can't avoid her cat instincts.

She's always been rather wary of the magpies though, as if she knows they could be quite vicious if they wanted to be. She can spend ages sitting below the fence they're all congretated on, and the conversation goes on and on........

I'm aware that some people would worry about the birds and might say that I really shouldn't encourage them to come into the garden with a cat around. But it's quite clear that they both enjoy the interaction, and I think the birds are firmly in charge!!