I believe the correct collective word for magpies is "a charm".
This is not the case for residents in the Andover Road. We are plagued morning to night by these wretched birds who strut about as if they own the place. We have a group of about 10 to 15, they seem to have increased in numbers this year for some reason.
They squawk from dawn to dusk, particularly if there are cats around. I believe that they are a protected species, but they are causing untold damage to the garden birds. I witnessed them attacking a Blackbird recently and they just ripped it apart.
Is it just localised to our particular section of the Andover Road, or are other areas experiencing this problem?