The great magpie adventure

Today's blip photo of fungi in Belair Park does not best represent the excitement of today. However it was not possible to grab a photo of what happened at around 5PM this evening.

Our favourite female magpie, the one that is most cheeky and most trusting of us - actually flew inside the house, through my family room area and into Paladian's office. I nearly fell off my chair with shock.

What actually happened was this. The window was open but there was no mince on the plate that we usually keep on the window sill at that time of the evening. Accordingly Mrs Magpie came forward to the edge of the desk that fronts the window, looking for food.

Unfortunately Mishy was in the kitchen, heard the maggie and rushed towards the desk. With her short legs could not have done any damage as she gets nowhere near the top of the desk. However it spooked Mrs M and she took off, meaning by instinct she flew upwards and forward into the room, and through to Paladian's area, perching on a light fitting. I nearly fell off my chair!
You can't expect a magpie almost a metre inside the window to quickly turn around (as we might do) and THEN go back out the window!

I quickly got Mishy out of the room and also made sure that Raj was safely away in the laundry while Paladian got her rescue and shepherding mission into full swing. Mrs M soon calmed down, came down from the light fitting, hopped or should I saw walked through into the family room (it is too dangerous for a magpie to try to fly in a confined space).

She walked right around the edge of the floor, up onto a chair - wiped her beak, and onto the desk, grabbing a beak full of mince from the desk. Then out the window as if nothing had happened. It stressed us far more than it stressed her! What a story she has to tell the rest of her family tonight.

You can read Mishy's take on the great adventure, from her point of view.
You can also see Mrs M inside the room in one of my recent blips.