Seventy species of native birds have been identified at Southglen.
One of them, Miss Pie, was reared by hand after being rescued from a crow attack at the southern end of the property. Miss Pie is a magpie. She was unable to fly or feed herself but she could flap her wings faster than any fledgling. She grew up quickly under the watchful eye of Robby, the confused sheepdog, and befriended everyone who came to the Hacienda.
Miss Pie flew across the valley to a forest of gum trees. She had made a nest there and sang with the other Magpies on full moon nights. She didn’t come to visit often during these days but I knew she was busy, following her natural instincts.
One day Mrs Pie arrived at the Hacienda with three of her babies. They were cautious at first but now feed regularly along with their mother and other relatives.
