Finding their wings !!!

I know that there are a lot of people that do not particularly like Magpies.  I am not one of them!  Birds from the Corvid family are incredibly intelligent and interactive with humans ... if given the chance.  I have know a couple of Magpies personally over the years and I cherish the memories of my interactions with them!

These young fledglings, Black-billed Magpies (Pica hudsonia), were causing their parents no end of grief as they ventured from the safety of the nest.  They were comical to watch from a distance, under the watchful eyes of mom and dad.  Cute little farts!

I once asked a photographer friend of mine if he had any photos of a magpie with its wings showing or in flight.  (They have amazing Art Deco patterns.)  His reply to me was, "Girl, if I was going to point something at a magpie, it would not be a camera!"