We were startled yesterday morning by a 'thunk' on the kitchen window. It turned out to be a magpie carrying a fledgling blackbird.
By the time we realised what was happening, the magpie had pinned the baby blackbird to the ground and had begun to devour its still-struggling victim.
Meanwhile, mother and father blackbird shrieked at and dive-bombed the magpie - to no avail - but heart-breakingly, they continued trying to chase off the magpie long after their offspring had expired.
No, we didn't intervene, it would have been too late, and we figured the magpie might as well have its fill rather than go off and kill something else.
I know one shouldn't anthropomorphise nature, but I can't help thinking of magpies as vicious, murdering thugs, even if they are intelligent and have immaculate dress-sense.