Two days before they were due to leave the nest a cat from the neighbourhood climbed up the bush to the nest and killed all the chicks. It didn't eat them, just left them in a neat pile on the ground. I have posted this video for educational purposes to illustrate the impact cats have on wildlife. This cat didn't take one or two chicks, it had to kill all of them. I would far rather had them eaten by Magpies, a natural death and one which served a purpose, even if only to feed another Magpie. Cats kill many, many times more songbirds than Magpies yet Magpies get annihilated in the name of songbird (read Pheasant) protection.
