'One for sorrow .....'

The rhyme  'One for sorrow ...' has its origins in superstitions connected with magpies.  They are considered a bird of ill omen in some cultures, and in Britain that goes back to the early sixteenth century.

Magpies are not my favourite birds but there is something very beautiful about their colourful plumage.  They are really too big to feed from the bird feeders so they prowl around on the ground hoping to catch some of the seeds dropped by the smaller birds.  This one was just sitting quietly on the railings waiting for me and my camera to come along!