A pair of Magpies live in the same field as ‘my’ crows. In fact, I frequently see them perched in the tree tops when I enter the field, and they often see me before the crows do.

When the crows do notice me and fly down for food, the Magpies fly across to the nearest trees or bushes to watch and wait.

Once the crows have filled their crops and beaks with suet pellets, they fly off to cache their food under bushes, amongst clumps of long grass, and in various other hiding places.

Seizing their opportunity, the Magpies nip in to grab what they can while the crows are absent. They used to just eat what they were able to grab but they’ve obviously learnt from watching the crows and they now cache their own food. How smart is that?!