Magpies! Magpies! Magpies! Poem by Denis Martindale

Today was just another day that didn't start that strong,
A cloudy sky seemed prone to stay and, well, that just seemed wrong.
Some pigeons sometimes flew above and on a rooftop posed,
And not much else, hardly enough, as if the matter closed.
But I'm not one to let things go, I checked again for more,
And I learned things I'm glad to know, upon the second floor.
My landing window helped me see two magpies for a start,
My bedroom window, thankfully, brought such joy to my heart.

This was a record-breaking day, as magpies joined the street,
More than a few came close to stay, so that our eyes could meet.
Two posed upon the dustbins, the gate and stair rails, too,
And so I smiled so many grins, for times like these are few.
Two flew up to the landing height and landed there outside,
While I observed with pure delight, delight that's hard to hide.
Then one perched on the Sky dish there, while one flew left to right,
Now that's something that I call rare, so close to me in flight.

But these were nothing as time passed, because two gardens down,
I saw more magpies moving fast, upon the grass so brown.
And then more came so suddenly, a dozen clustered close!
I stared amazed, gobsmacked, you see, these were magpies not crows!
But in the seconds yet to come, the dainty dozen flew,
They disappeared, yes, all, not some, completely out of view.
Twelve magpies there, but then not one! I gasped at what I'd seen.
Twelve magpies! Gone! Well, that's no fun! In fact, that seemed so mean!

But that's how life can sometimes feel, when seeing something grand,
For seconds, Man, it's oh, so real, as if God had it planned.
I saw twelve magpies, there, somehow, no time to say goodbye!
I'm typing this, right here and now, it's no word of a lie!
This was a record-breaking day! Not seen in twenty years!
Wow! Man, that's all that I can say! With smiles between my ears!
To think that I observed them all, the little so-and-sos!
To me, well, that's a miracle! Twelve magpies, oh, so close!


Denis Martindale.16th August 2026.


Here is an exciting, beautiful bird poem by the Poemhunter poet Denis Martindale.

It's a special day for Denis, as he describes the unfolding story, the unfolding spectacle, the unfolding miracle that left him gobsmacked yet again! This poem is about something not seen in over twenty years of Nature Studies.

The previous record was seeing seven magpies! Today, Denis gazed outside his bedroom window and was thrilled to see twelve magpies! He nicknamed them The Dainty Dozen! Have you ever seen twelve magpies? Well, have you! ?

Sometimes, you've got to be patient, to wait long enough and then get lucky enough to smile, yet just long enough before they're up, up and away, as fast as Superman! Gorn! Is it a bird, is it a plane? No, it's twelve magnificent magpies!