The Thieving Magpie

To capture bird life in my garden I have set up a camcorder in a room opposite the feeders. I've a vertical slated blind that cuts off the light from the sky and flare, and the set up works best on an overcast day. It is fine to capture small birds not so sensitive to my appearance, but the bigger birds fly off the moment I move. However, I found a cardboard box which opens out to fit neatly into the lower part of the window. This effectively makes it like a little hide!

This morning I put this set-up to the test by refilling the fat ball feeder. This always acts like a magnet for the bigger birds. Within minutes a jackdaw and a magpie appeared, and I was able to capture a few good shots. So it seems to be working!

The shot I have posted shows the beautiful feather arrangement on the magpie's back and the full stretch of the tail feathers which are sharp to the tip. When seen close-up its black plumage takes on a more colourful hue with a purplish-blue iridescent sheen to the wing feathers, and a greenish gloss to the tail. With its noisy chattering and gregarious habits, there's nothing quite like the magpie in the UK.

I used Photoshop's Angled Strokes Brush very lightly and adjusted the highlights in iPhoto to more clearly define the markings and compensate for some loss of clarity shooting through the closed window.