Australian Magpie


Book Description

Brings together everything we know about the biology and behaviour of this unusual species.




The Song of the Magpie


Book Description

A tale of resilience and redemption. Caitlin Blackwell’s life has been shaped by the whims of men—the cruel landlord who evicted her family when she was a child; the dirty grinders who bought her favors in the alleyways of Cork; and the uncaring husband who was forced upon her when she arrived as a convict in Australia twenty years ago. But at last, she’s a widow. She’s inherited a farm of her own, and she’s determined to seize control of her destiny. There’s only one thing stopping her from becoming the prosperous, independent woman she’s always dreamed she could be: she’s illiterate. Enter Michael Dunn, a man haunted with guilt. After six months of hell and hard labor at Moreton Bay penal colony—for a crime he should have known better than to commit—he’s more than haunted. He’s broken. Empty. A shell of a man. But somehow, he’s given another chance. A glimmer of hope in an unexpected assignment to teach an Irish widow to read. As Caitlin and Michael’s new life blooms amidst the vast Australian landscape, they uncover a secret that threatens to snatch away everything they hold dear. Can they face the demons of their pasts and embrace an uncertain future? “...one of the best redemption stories I've ever read. I loved it.” - Reader review The Song of the Magpie is the fourth and final book in the Darnalay Castle Series, although all of the books in the series can be read as standalones. For fans of Ellie Sinclair, Bree Wolf and Julia Brannan this novel is the perfect mixture of realistic history and heart-wrenching romance. It contains themes which may be disturbing to some readers (see the author’s note in the sample pages), and several spicy open-door scenes.




Magpie's Song


Book Description

In the slums of BrightStone, Moon Children are worth less than the scrap they collect to survive. It doesn't matter that these abandoned half-breeds are part-Meridian with their ancestors hailing from the technologically advanced wonder that floats above the once-thriving, now plague-ridden city. Instead they are rejected by both societies and forced to live on the outskirts of civilization, joining clans simply to stay alive. Not to mention their role as Tithe, leading the city's infected citizens deep into the Pits where their disease can be controlled. Nineteen-year-old Raggy Maggy is no different, despite the mysterious heart-shaped panel welded to her chest. Or she wasn't, until her chance discovery of a Meridian-built clockwork dragon--and its murdered owner. When the Inquestors policing the city find Maggy at the scene of the crime, she becomes their prime suspect. An exiled doctor and a clanless Moon Child named Ghost keep her hidden; all she has to do is help them find a cure to the plague they believe was not accidental. Doing so might risk more than her life--but it might be the key to uncovering the truth about the parents, and the past, she knows nothing about.




Australian Magpie


Book Description

The Australian magpie is one of our nation’s most popular and iconic birds. It is loved for its impressive vocal abilities, propensity to play, excellent parenting and willingness to form enduring friendships with people. Written by award-winning author Gisela Kaplan, a leading authority on animal behaviour and Australian birds, this second edition of Australian Magpie is a thoroughly updated and substantially expanded account of the behaviour of these birds. With new chapters on classification, cognition and caring for young, it reveals the extraordinary capabilities of the magpie, including its complex social behaviour. The author, who has devoted more than 20 years to studying and interacting with magpies, brings together the latest research on the magpie’s biology and behaviour, along with information on the origin of magpies, their development and health not published previously. This fascinating book has a wide appeal to bird lovers, amateur ornithologists and naturalists, as well as those with a scientific or professional interest in avian behaviour and ecology and those interested in the importance of native birds to the environment.




Mad Magpie


Book Description

Age range 3 to 6 Mad Magpie is the third book in this successful series of morality tales from Gregg Dreise. Inspired by wise sayings and the knowledge of his Elders, Mad Magpie tells the story of Guluu, an angry magpie who is being teased by a gang of butcher birds. The more he is teased, the angrier he becomes. When Guluu seeks advice, his Elders tell him to stay calm like the river, ignore the butcher birds and to be strong on the inside. Guluu tries this, but the cheeky birds just laugh at him. One day, when Guluu is at the river looking for worms, the butcher birds arrive and steal his food. He remembers the words of his Elders and he tries again – and this time Guluu has a different outcome. He stands proudly at the riverbank and remembers how he used to sing when he was having a bad day. Guluu sings so loud he cannot hear the birds laughing at him and they eventually give up and fly away. From that time on, the animals learnt to use music to create a happy mood and they worked together to stop bullying.




The Magpie Song


Book Description

Carla, who lives with her family in the city, shares a close relationship with her grandad in the country through their correspondence.




How to Know the Birds


Book Description

"In this elegant narrative, celebrated naturalist Ted Floyd guides you through a year of becoming a better birder. Choosing 200 top avian species to teach key lessons, Floyd introduces a new, holistic approach to bird watching and shows how to use the tools of the 21st century to appreciate the natural world we inhabit together whether city, country or suburbs." -- From book jacket.




Featherhood


Book Description

“I loved every single page.” —Elton John “The best piece of nature writing since H is for Hawk.” —Neil Gaiman ​In this moving, critically acclaimed memoir, a young man saves a baby magpie as his estranged father is dying, only to find that caring for the mischievous bird saves him. One spring day, a baby magpie falls out of its nest and into Charlie Gilmour’s hands. Magpies, he soon discovers, are as clever and mischievous as monkeys. They are also notorious thieves, and this one quickly steals his heart. By the time the creature develops shiny black feathers that inspire the name Benzene, Charlie and the bird have forged an unbreakable bond. While caring for Benzene, Charlie learns his biological father, an eccentric British poet named Heathcote Williams who vanished when Charlie was six months old, is ill. As he grapples with Heathcote’s abandonment, Charlie comes across one of his poems, in which Heathcote describes how an impish young jackdaw fell from its nest and captured his affection. Over time, Benzene helps Charlie unravel his fears about repeating the past—and embrace the role of father himself. A bird falls, a father dies, a child is born. Featherhood is the unforgettable story of a love affair between a man and a bird. It is also a beautiful and affecting memoir about childhood and parenthood, captivity and freedom, grief and love.




Magpie Learns a Lesson


Book Description

Magpie is cross that she cant fly like her friend Brown Falcon. She thinks of mean tricks that will make Brown Falcon look silly. But she goes too far ... and finds out just how much friends need each other.




Social Influences on Vocal Development


Book Description

For at least 30 years, there have been close parallels between studies of birdsong development and those of the development of human language. Both song and language require species-specific stimulation at a sensitive period in development and subsequent practice through subsong and plastic song in birds and babbling in infant humans leading to the development of characteristic vocalisations for each species. This book illustrates how social interactions during development can shape vocal learning and extend the sensitive period beyond infancy and how social companions can induce flexibility even into adulthood. Social companions in a wide range of species including birds and humans but also cetaceans and nonhuman primates play important roles in shaping vocal production as well as the comprehension and appropriate usage of vocal communication. This book will be required reading for students and researchers interested in animal and human communication and its development.