![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/black-billed-magpie-8970-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"black-billed-magpie-8970-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nMagpies on Antelope Island begin their nesting activities in February. Usually…<\/p>\n
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This is an older photo of a Black-billed Magpie carrying a beakful of mud to its domed nest on Antelope Island. This particular photo was taken in early March but, depending on weather, the island’s magpies can begin nesting activities as early as late January and nest building\/refurbishing is typically in full swing by February. Not so this year.<\/p>\n
For the last several years I’ve noticed dwindling numbers of magpies on the island and this year I haven’t seen a single magpie on my last three trips to the island, which is highly unusual (I look for them, hard). So it goes without saying that I haven’t seen them nesting. Usually, magpies are ubiquitous on the north end of the island year-round, so their apparent absence is disturbing.<\/p>\n
A week ago today I had a long visit with Park Manager Wendy Wilson and Park Naturalist Trish Ackley. During our conversation I posed this question to Wendy, “What’s happened to the magpies on the island?” and told her I hadn’t seen any on my last three visits. She looked at me quizzically for a moment and then said “You’re right. It’s been a while since I’ve seen any too.” Then Trish chimed in by saying that she hadn’t seen any magpies on the island for quite a while either.<\/p>\n
Wendy, as Park Manager, actually lives on the island full time so she ought to know.<\/p>\n
I’m curious, have any of my readers who are local seen any magpies on the island recently? And if you have, are you seeing as many as usual?<\/p>\n
Just because I haven’t seen any doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t there, somewhere. But throw Wendy’s and Trish’s observations into the mix and I can’t help but be concerned.<\/p>\n
Ron<\/p>\n
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Magpies on Antelope Island begin their nesting activities in February. Usually…<\/p>\n