City nature notes: Up on the roof

Great roof garden!

Just a couple of recent city wildlife observations that I have to put somewhere! The other day I noticed this unusual wild “roof garden” among some chimney pots…

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Death and new life in the mid-March garden

Magpie (Pica pica) eating a mouse, perched on an ash tree in the garden

Spring is coming to my garden but as well as the usual new life bursting out all over the place, there are some losses, too.

I think the blackbirds are nesting outside my window – I saw a female taking a beakful of grass into a spiky Mahonia bush. But I fear it won’t give enough protection, as the magpies and crows are already

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A game of fox and magpie…

Romance – or at least interest – between a fox and magpie…

I was pleased with this capture of a garden fox (almost) kissing a magpie, so thought I would post it here.

I took the photo in the early morning sun the other day and I had to lean sideways at full stretch, pointing my camera through a small landing window to get the shot, which shows the fox in a neighbour’s garden.

Another shot of the magpie sneaking up on the fox from behind, taken before the other picture…

The magpie was running around the fox, almost taunting it.

Here are my other fox blog posts:
Living with urban foxes
Foxy shows his (her) face again…
Foxy would a-wooing go…
Fowl play? Call in the feather forensics team…

And here’s a recent one about magpies:
Egging on the magpies…

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Egging on the magpies…

Not just black and white - a beady-eyed magpie among the ash trees...

OK, I know it’s a bit controversial, since they snatch the eggs of smaller birds, but I really do like magpies. Some things just aren’t all black and white, you might say.

They are beautiful, big and comparatively easy to photograph, surprisingly colourful and very entertaining.

Until about six weeks ago, I used to throw away the skin of scrambled egg that sticks to the surface of my “non-stick” pan. But now I have found it is one of the magpies’ favourites!

Cold water loosens the egg, which I then scrape off with my fingernails and place in a pile, where I can see it from the kitchen window.

Usually the magpies

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