Magpie

A pair of magpies have started building a nest at the top of a nearby tree. It's in its very early stages yet, and apparently the nest may take up to 6 weeks to build. They may even construct a protective dome, since eggs and young in magpie nests are prey to carrion crows.

I managed to get this shot of one magpie on the nest, having brought a beakful of twigs to it. The bird's tail is sticking out to the left and its head is silhouetted on the right. The orangey/red thing is a leaf attached to a twig, not of course the magpie's plumage.