As I went into the bedroom to slip on my shoes (already running slightly late), I heard a terrible & familiar din outside the window... this could only mean one thing. Magpies on the rampage!
I didn't know where to look - on one nearby rooftop, a vicious battle for the right to stand at the very summit of the TV aerial was underway, between a magpie & a crow/raven (not sure if ravens live in Manchester - but it was bloomin' maaasssive!)
On an adjacent tree, two magpies gallantly protected their territory from an interloping cat. The cat looked exactly like the one in this pic!
I actually felt very sorry for the cat. It looked quite young. It obviously thought - birds! I can catch these & eat them! What fun! But after a minute stuck in a tree with magpies attacking its tale & swooping at its face, I'm sure it'll rethink its strategy in the future. The poor thing wasn't even granted respite when it managed to come down - it ran underneath a car only to be followed by the irate birds! It eventually emerged very sheepishly minutes later - only to hide under another car. The magpie later returned & let loose its machine gun style chatter at the cars, as it peered underneath them.... I'm sure this cat will be suffering PTSD.
One of the magpies who had been causing ruckus with the cat soon flew up to join its team-mate in chasing off the crow-ven. The creature definitely had size to its advantage, but the magpies had persistence. They won the top of the aerial, but only for a few seconds - they eventually all flew off - chasing the crow to goodness knows where, chattering incessantly whilst they did so.
I hope nobody in Hulme had been planning a lie-in this morning.
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