magpie
Magpies can be said to be the most common birds in rural areas of Guanzhong, especially in the countryside near the northern foot of Qinling Mountains, on the big trees in front of and behind people’s houses, and among the branches on the banks of ditches in rural areas. Magpie looks very festive, with a round head, a pointed beak, a fat body, a long tail and feathers in black, white, blue and purple, which can be said to be loved by everyone. What the villagers like best is its chirping sound, which they think is an auspicious sound. "When the magpies chirp, the guests will come", which is a favorite saying in our village.
I also like magpies for two reasons. First, I have lived in the countryside since I was a child. Magpies are more common and seen, just like my neighbors. When I am familiar with them, I am happy. Second, I think this kind of bird looks good and sounds good, unlike sparrows, which gather in groups in front of people’s eaves all day, chattering, making people upset, and sometimes harming crops and making people hate it. Nor is it like an owl, whose voice is sharp and harsh, such as a sharp instrument crossing a slate.
In my memory, magpies are the most common in spring and winter, but they don’t seem to be seen much in summer. This may be the reason why the magpie’s whereabouts are not easy to be found in summer. In spring, magpies can often be seen in Yuan Ye, my hometown. They jump in the wheat field one by one, head by head, and look very fun; Or while chirping, slowly fly from tree to tree, and the tail feathers draw a beautiful arc. This season, magpies’ nests are also easier to find, mostly on tall poplars. Walking in the countryside, when I look up, you will see huge magpie nests, crouching peacefully among the treetops of Gao Yang willow trees, as if they were pieces of art.. The sky is pure and blue, not stained with a trace of dust. At this time, there may be wind, and the nest will gently shake with the wind.
Although it shakes, there is no need to worry that the nest will be blown down by the wind, because magpies are masters of nesting. I have lived in the country for many years, and I have seen many bird nests, such as those of swallows, sparrows and turtledoves … I think they are not as beautiful and strong as those of magpies. Sparrows make a nest out of a mess of grass. Sometimes, they don’t even build such a simple nest, but live directly under the eaves of others or among the trees. Swallows’ nests are exquisite, but they are also built on the beams of other people’s houses, and they like to use old nests, which are neither as big as magpie’s nests nor as beautiful as magpie’s nests. As for the doves’ nests, they are mostly built in the oblique branches of the trunk of a big tree, which is not only sloppy, but also extremely unsafe. When I was a teenager, I saw more than once that the village children climbed the tree to dig out the nest of the turtledove, and the turtledove flew around the tree in shock. Magpies, on the other hand, have no such worries. Their nests are mostly at the top of big trees, and village children can’t climb them. Even if they climbed up, because the branches at the top of the tree were too thin, the children were afraid of breaking the branches and falling to the ground, and did not dare to climb to the top to dig out the magpie nest. What’s more, the villagers also forbid children to climb the tree and dig out the magpie nest. Therefore, it is very natural that magpies are more common in their hometown.
In spring and summer, magpies are busy building nests, laying eggs and brooding, but in autumn, magpies seem to be more relaxed. This season, the young magpies have grown up, so they don’t need to be fed. There is plenty of food in the field, and they can eat without much effort. The full magpies are singing and playing in the fields, or in the big trees in front of and behind people’s houses. Only in winter, because of the lack of food and the cold weather, they seem sluggish and seem to be less active than in spring, summer and autumn. Magpies seen in winter are mostly foraging.
I have long known that magpies like to live in exile. In the past, during those years in my hometown, I also often saw it. However, in the past twenty years, it seems that I have seen fewer magpies in the plains and Sichuan fields. Sometimes I see it occasionally, and it is often one or two, and there are no groups. And the magpie’s nest seems to be smaller than I remember. Looking at it, it is about the size of a basketball and stands alone among the treetops of a small tree. Last winter, I went to Fengyukou, Qinling Mountain to play. By the Hongcao River, I unexpectedly met a large group of magpies. They were screaming and laughing, jumping and pecking in a mountainous area. That carefree, makes me fascinated. I was excited for a long time, and I stopped in a hurry and watched it quietly for a while. At that moment, my heart seemed to have returned to my familiar hometown and my distant childhood. In a trance, I saw my kind grandmother take a big red window cut of a magpie and stick it on the pane. And outside the window, it is a place of snow, a tree of Qiongzhi.