Black-headed Grosbeak and Magpie question

["Deedee and/or Dick OBrien" <ddobrien at worldnet dot att dot net>]

The first Black-headed Grosbeak I've seen this spring spent most of the
morning at or around the platform feeded in our yard. His fresh breeding
plumage is the prettiest I've seen in the few years these birds have been
visiting us.

A pair of Mallards dropped into the yard yesterday during a short sleet
storm. What a surprise! We are not near water (except for a neighbor's
swimming pool). They returned briefly twice today.

Question: For the 3rd time in the last month we have seen a magpie sitting
in one of the junipers in the backyard busily consuming a bird. They've been
around for years, but this is the first time we've seen this. We have yet to
witness the kill. Is this normal spring behavior? It was really strange that
it didn't seem to affect the behavior of the rest of the birds in the yard.
If it had been a hawk sitting there, there wouldn't have been another bird
in sight!

Deedee O'Brien
Holladay

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