Every morning, Adolf tosses four or five slices of stale bread (cut in half) out on the back lawn for the birds. As soon as my back is turned, the sparrows are in like little robber's dogs, followed by starlings, crested bronze-wings, black birds and willy wagtails. (For those who don't know, a willy wagtail is not a poofter. It is the Australian version of New Zealand's fantail, only slightly bigger.) A little later, a pair of bloody great black crows swoops in. I've seen a crow pick up a piece of bread, drop in on another piece and then fly off with both bits in its beak. Bloody clever birds, them crows.
Today, I got quite a surprise.
In swooped one of the crows. He stood there, eying up his choice of bread when into him tore one of those little willy wagtails. The attack was fearsome and the poor bloody crow cowered like a Labour Party activist on the morning after election night. Within less than a minute the crow beat a hasty retreat and was not seen again.
Update:
Can any experienced bird watcher/ornithologist tell me whether new Zealand's fantail displays the same level of aggression evinced by it's Aussie relative?
