JibberJabber

Yesterday we woke to the sound of something scrabbling across our roof.  We decided it might be birds, or it might be Cyril the Squirrel trying to move back in (he - or she - once nested in the roof space, before we had our bedroom built).

This morning we were again woken to the sound of many somethings scrabbling around.   A short while later, we heard several magpies begin their ack-ack-ack-ack alarm,  and this went on and on and on monotonously.

DH investigated.  We had 6 or 7 magpies on the roof (cue Hitchcock music), Wash was sunbathing on the patio table, and a very angry magpie was standing on the ground next to him sounding the alarm.   Wash was competely oblivious to the fact that the magpie was complaining about him.

DH went downstairs and opened the kitchen door to call Wash in.  He strolled in,  the Magpie stopped squawking, and the other Magpies moved off to other vantage points in the garden.

One for sorrow, 
Two for Mirth (or - incorrectly, -  Joy, if you watched the TV series)
Three for a Wedding ( or - incorrectly, -  Girl, if you watched the TV series)
Four for a Birth (or - incorrectly, -  Boy, if you watched the TV series)
Five for Silver
Six for Gold
Seven for a Secret Never to Tell (Never to be told)

After that it gets a bit variable depending on the source.