Hi, and thanks for stopping by my blog,

A week ago I noticed a little Australian Magpie staggering around the grassy lake- shore in front of my home. I was concerned as he was stumbling along and using his wings to assist him, and I wasn’t sure what had happened to him.

On closer examination I found the little fellow had lost his tail feathers. So I have decided to name him Stumpy. He is only a fledgling and appears to be not long out of the nest.

The next day I learned His mother is still feeding him (below), and it appears he has suffered a confrontation with a cat or some other predator.

When I took this shot he still looked the worse for wear with feathers blowing every which way.

If you look more closely (below) you can see the damage to his tail feathers, they all appear to be hacked to the same length.

I was really concerned he may be not be able to fly, but he can. I wouldn’t say he is the most graceful flyer as birds need their tail feathers for balance and for a brake amongst other things. But he makes do. The bird experts say it takes about six weeks for the tail feathers to grow back. Even in the time it has taken to grab a good shot of him his feathers have grown a little.

So Stumpy is doing okay. As a matter of fact I have decided to include him as a late entry into my up and coming book “Showdown in the Umbrella Tree” – Tales from a Lake Book 4.

As with all my illustrations I put them through a cartoon filter and brighten up their eyes to give them personality. I think he is a real cutie!

I’m wondering if the feathers on the ground (above) are the left-overs from his tail feathers, or if he thinks they are.

Here on the Quiet Side of the Great Lake we have little trouble with swooping magpies at nesting time. They know us human folk who live close by quite well. One even walks into a neighbor’s kitchen each day for little tidbits of meat.

Stumpy reminds me of how much our God cares for us. Just as we look out for our feathered friends on the Quiet Side of the Great Lake, Our God looks out for us.  “Look at the birds in the sky. They do not store food for winter. They don’t plant gardens. They do not sow or reap—and yet, they are always fed because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are even more precious to Him than a beautiful bird. If He looks after them, of course He will look after you.” Matthew 6:26 The Voice (Bible Version)

So, dear reader I hope this reminds you today just how precious you are, and if you are feeling a bit blue, know that God loves you.

Marilyn