Australia - Telegraph lines.
Respect for the Magpies.

 


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As telegraph lines went up around the country, the wiley Magpie - as is usual - took full advantage of the new environment.

The Eurasian magpie is thought to rank among the world's most intelligent creatures and is one of the few non-mammal species able to recognize itself in a mirror test.

There are many stories about magpies and the telegraph lines - a selection follows:

 

South Australia

In the Port Pirie Recorder of 16 September 1903:

The Persistent Magpie.

"The officials of the railway and telegraph departments at Orroroo have been given considerable trouble lately by a persistent magpie which is apparently exceedingly anxious to construct a nest and rear a brood. A few days ago, Ganger White was travelling along the railway line on his tricycle and was near the Walloway station, about four miles from Orroroo. He was attacked by a magpie which flew down on his head and attempted to peck his face. The same thing happened on the following day, so he dismounted and discovered the bird's nest, which he destroyed, in an adjacent bush.

However, when he next passed the spot, the magpie was at him again. On this occasion he not only destroyed the second nest but cut down the bush.

Then another episode began. The telegraphic communication between Orroroo and Port Augusta was interrupted and the telegraph and stationmaster at Orroroo, Mr. Linton, set out to investigate matters. He found that the magpie, having been driven away from its original home, had ingeniously fixed to the telegraph wires a steel rim used to preserve the shape of a hat. The bird evidently had a little plant of ends of copper wire near at hand and these had been woven tightly round the telegraph lines with the intention of supporting the frame work of the nest. Ganger White had to climb the pole and remove the nest before communication could be restored. Next day, however, the circuit again was interrupted and once more the ganger had to remove the magpie's nest. Credible witnesses assert that six times in succession this work had to be done.

A band of riflemen, including Mr. L. B. Addison, the well known crack shot, Mr. Zaneker and Mr. Linton, the postmaster, went out to try to kill the bird and so put an end to her trespasses on Government property - but she was too "fly" for them".

Victoria.

In the Argus of 1 August 1909:

Persistent Magpies keep Telegraph Linesmen busy.
GEELONG.

"The Postal department employees are again being caused annoyance by the persistence of a pair of magpies in an endeavour to build a nest on the telegraph line on the Geelong side of Werribee. Towards the end of last month it was found necessary to despatch a linesman to the spot no fewer than 15 times to clear the insulators of the nest in the building of which the birds used bits of fencing wire and other metallic material which. on coming in contact with the line, interfered with the electric current. Action then taken by the officials to prevent the magpies rebuilding at the spot was thought to be effective but during the past week the birds have returned with renewed determination to accomplish their task and a man had to be sent along the line on two occasions to demolish the nest".

 

In The (Perth) Daily News of 18 August 1927:

Magpies Cause Telegraph Stoppage
MELBOURNE.

"An interesting exhibit at the office of the Postal Director, Melbourne was a tangled mass of wire of various shapes, size and thickness about a foot across. This represented the frame work of a nest built by magpies on the main Sydney - Melbourne telegraph line at a point 13 miles beyond Broadmeadows. It put three trunk lines out-of-order and was built on an arm of the telegraph pole with support from the wires.

This 'steel frame work' included fencing and barbed wire and a piece of copper tape. Apparently most of the pieces were collected from the country round about but, according to telegraph engineers, the birds will uncoil wire from pole constructions if they once get a loose end.

The present trouble is by no means isolated. Some time ago, a magpies' nest caused similar interruption on the Adelaide lines. About two days after the fault was corrected, the trouble reappeared and it was found that the persistent magpies had built another nest.

All work men are now instructed carefully to bury loose ends of wires so as to give magpies the minimum chance of holding up traffic".

 

In the Border Watch of 22 September 1934:

Why Telegraph Men Hate Magpies.

The magpie is a tiresome bird.
The home it builds is quite absurd.
Hairpins and wire and bits of string.
And yet it seems to love the thing!

"Hairpins have almost disapppeared since those lines were written but the magpie is still a tiresome thief of trinkets from country dressing tables. It still has a love for a nest that must be as comfortable as a mattress stuffed with scrap iron. The nesting magpie will forsake soft moss and cowhair and wool for a piece of copper wire.

That explains why the telephone and telegraph service between Melbourne and Echuca was interrupted a few days ago. A pair of magpies, finding the telegraph line to be a good foraging ground for scraps of wire and uncomforable bits of metal, determined to nest on the spot. They chose the cross-arm of a telegraph pole for a building site and made a mansion with half a pound of copper wire - little knowing or caring that they would cause a short-circuit on a busy telegraph line.

It is not the first time that magpies have done similar damage. The Postmaster General's department has a special set of regulations about magpies. Linesmen are required to carry away or bury all waste wire in magpie country. Last nesting season, wire baskets were suspended from telegraph poles in country in which there were few trees to entice the birds to build and so where it would be impossible to foul the lines But the experiment did not succeed. Only a few birds built in the baskets. The conservatives stuck to their poles. The fact that the Echuca magpies began to rebuild their nest from the scattered fragments is taken by the department as a reflection on the service.

Orders have now been issued that destroyed nests must be burned or buried".