Are your magpies as annoying as our black-billed magpies are here in Canada? They're beautiful birds, but they love to raise hell on summer mornings over a single bag of trash, or a rotten sack or grapes someone dropped beside the bus stop. I don't know that I've ever woken up peacefully while camping, as magpies are always sure to see me up abruptly at a cool, balmy 4:30am.
Here in Ireland they have a nursery rhyme about magpies, that they are prophetic depending on their numbers when seen. So much so, that the weaker minded will run around looking for a second one to adjust the current prophecy they believe the little guy is foretelling.
One for sorrow.
Two for joy.
Three for a girl.
Four for a boy.
Five for silver.
Six for gold.
Seven for a secret,
never to be told.
There's another older one also:
One for sorrow.
Two for mirth.
Three for a wedding,
Four for death.
Five for silver.
Six for gold.
Seven for a secret never to be told.
Eight for Heaven.
Nine for Hell.
And ten for the devil's own sell.
Supposedly the band Counting Crows' name came from this practice.
Are your magpies as annoying as our black-billed magpies are here in Canada? They're beautiful birds, but they love to raise hell on summer mornings over a single bag of trash, or a rotten sack or grapes someone dropped beside the bus stop. I don't know that I've ever woken up peacefully while camping, as magpies are always sure to see me up abruptly at a cool, balmy 4:30am.
they're eating our trash because we're making a mess of the planet while over populating their turf.
ONE FOR SORROW!!!
Here in Ireland they have a nursery rhyme about magpies, that they are prophetic depending on their numbers when seen. So much so, that the weaker minded will run around looking for a second one to adjust the current prophecy they believe the little guy is foretelling.
One for sorrow. Two for joy. Three for a girl. Four for a boy. Five for silver. Six for gold. Seven for a secret, never to be told.
There's another older one also:
One for sorrow. Two for mirth. Three for a wedding, Four for death. Five for silver. Six for gold. Seven for a secret never to be told. Eight for Heaven. Nine for Hell. And ten for the devil's own sell.
Supposedly the band Counting Crows' name came from this practice.
What a beauty!
Look out or he'll steal all your gold.
Australia: