Yes it's Spring again. I know because the local magpies have 2 babies. I know this because I occasionally throw out scraps on my back lawn to supplement their food rations and they are regular visitors. This week they brought me a present.....2 babies. Must be a good season this year to be raising 2 babies instead of 1. Anyway the magpies here in Melbourne are white backed magpies as apposed to the magpies at Tocumwal in N.S.W. which are black backed magpies. Also the birds here in Melb. are larger than their northern cousins, probably all the McDonalds they eat down here! I enjoy listening to their warbling song and can't help but shake my head at the patience and persistence of the adult birds constantly being "harassed" by the chicks for food. They are noisy little critters when they are hungry and very bossy, often pecking at the adult birds for more food. I've named them....squarker 1 and squarker 2, they never seem to stop. Poor parent birds, these chicks a...