Magpies on my birdfeeder

[Elle's Garden]

My peanut feeder is suddenly being visited by a couple of Magpies! I have never seen this before, but one of them looks quite practised and efficient at getting the peanuts out while the other (young I think) hops around picking up what has dropped. The woodpeckers are getting quite cross because they like to come at this time of day and the poor little tits aren't getting a look in.

Has anyone else seen magpies on feeders?

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Elle, we have an awful lot of Magpies about this way, but never seen them anywhere near a feeder yet.

[Nature's Babe]

We also have magpies around here but I have never seen them on a feeder either.

[PLUMPUDDING]

Both Magpies and Jackdaws have been coming for peanuts for the past two or three weeks. They eat a couple and then get two or three in their beaks and fly off, so I suppose they are feeding young. They might even choke the little blighters, but I should think they are large enough to just swallow them. My thinking is that if they are full of peanuts they might not eat so many fledglings.

[Elle's Garden]

I am wondering if there is a shortage of natural food at the moment? Along with the tits, magpies, pigeons on the ground, wood peckers, nut hatches etc, I saw a squirrel hanging on it this morning. I mentioned my concerns at the pet shop and they said that quite a few people are saying the same thing.