Koels and Maggies

I was drawn outside by a very short, angry version of a male Koel's call. It came from three sources around my yard and was high among the trees.

There seemed to be several magpies racing back and forward between spots in surrounding trees and these calls were emanating from the spots the Magpies were disappearing into.

After a few moments a large black bird shot by. It was being chased by a Magpie and flew about a hundred meters before it landed, protested weakly and went quiet. The Magpies were grimly silent the whole time. Eventually the three birds making the call moved off although I couldn't see much among the branches and leaves (I did catch sight on bird that looked like a Koel with my binoculars)there was a great deal of activity about them. Noisy miners also appeared and disappeared around those places. They were also silent.

About half an hour later it started again for a few moments. I observed three juvenile Magpies forming a creche in my front yard while the "battle" went on in the trees. They stayed on the ground close to a low hedge and beneath a white mulberry, walking about in single file. I wondered if they had chosen the spot for it's ability to give them protection from swooping aerial attacks

I surmised from the creche that the immediate magpie parents had formed a battle group of three families to try and deal with the Koels.

As soon as this one was over I went into the backyard and one of the magpies perched just over my head and warbled at me in what I would describe as a near whisper. I speak to them in that warble but normally they shout it aloud through the trees. Perhaps I was being reassured or perhaps that was a sign of dread in a Magpie.

This morning at 5am the area was alive with male and female Koels calling and answering each other in the distance. The magpies seem to be missing their meals at the feeding table