Amanda Stuart, My companion in isolation - a baby magpie (ANIMAL & NATURE 2020)

During lockdown, like so many people, I spent a lot more time at home and was thrilled when a baby magpie appeared one day and proceeded to visit me daily. She would peer into the house, looking for me and was always calm around me, She was curious and comical - appearing as in the third photo with food on her beak. I observed her changing over a few weeks into a more mature bird and was saddened to witness the true nature of magpies, when larger, older birds swooped onto the deck and chased her away.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.