Predatory Magpies

On many occasions I have found toad skins in the mudflats of the Xiang river and wondered whether it was magpies, egrets or other culprits have been eating their insides before discarding the poisonous skins. After reviewing some old photographs I noticed that I had captured an oriental magpie (pica serica, 喜鹊) in the act of catching toad at Taozi lake last April.

Last month I observed an azure-winged magpie (cyanopica cyanus, 灰喜鹊) catch a rat in the grasses near the Xiang river. Magpies of all kinds are fascinating to observe and certainly innovative in their acquisition of grub.

Azure-winged Magpie Hunting for Insects

Another example or corvid-cleverness: an azure-winged magpie (cyanopica cyanus, 灰喜鹊) discovered that some protective wrappings on trees provide a fertile ground for breeding invertebrates, and that tearing away at the adhesive tape would expose some good grub.

Black-throated Tits Hunting Spiders

Towards evening a group of black-throated tits (aegithalos concinnus, 红头长尾山雀) was hunting for spiders among the trees and along the crevices of a stone building. It is common to find these tits covered in cobwebs: they must be quite menacing for unsuspecting arachnids.

Red-billed Blue-Magpie

Red-billed Blue-Magpie (Urocissa erythroryncha, 红嘴蓝鹊).

A resident bird on Yuelu Mountain: they are not much bigger than other magpies though their long tails give the illusion of a greater size. When one is nearby, other other bids make a considerable fuss. They are known to eat the chicks and eggs of other birds, but this one chanced to predate on an adult Eurasian tree sparrow: it swooped it from the air, pinned it down and slowly pecked it into submission and death. While the magpie killed and feasted, the rest of the flock of sparrows stayed to sound a frenetic alarm. One Chinese blackbird arrived and attempted several dashes against the magpie in a brave but futile attempt to save the unfortunate sparrow.

Black-throated Bushtit

Black-throated Bushtit (Aegithalos concinnus, 红头长尾山雀).

In Autumnal Changsha, in the forests and by the lakes and river, one can find mixed flocks of cinereous tits, yellow-bellied tits, Pallas's leaf warblers, and black-throated bushtits. The latter are easiest to find by the water, hunting insects and spiders.