Dad Magpie comes for a good soak – then a Noisy Friarbird takes over; Australian birds

I know the nape on this bird is a bit dark in some of the shots but I'm pretty sure it's Dad. First, I couldn't see Mum's “eyeliner” - the white stripes that run backwards from her eyes. Magpies usually moult after breeding season has ended and that may explain the scruffiness in his head feathers. Summer is a good time to moult – anything to help cool off. Second, he jumped straight in. Mum usually splashes around with her beak and procrastinates for a while before she jumps in. Third, when he left at 1:20 for a preen and shake he went into the mango tree and I don't think I've ever seen Mum do that. And then there is the deep soak – Mum usually doesn't just soak up the water the way, she's agitating like a blender. I'm happy to be corrected – I've laid out my thinking, happy to hear if you think I'm wrong. I was talking to a neighbour in the afternoon – he said in the morning a magpie visited his yard from this place and he'd never seen a bird so wet – absolutely dripping. I told him about Dad's big soak that morning which I'd edited shortly after it happened and told him he'd left in the direction of his yard so that's why he was so wet. A little bad news, or perhaps it'll turn out to be good news. I have to move the birdbath. Not today, possibly not until after Christmas, but it's got to find a new home quite soon. I have a spot in mind but it may take the birds a while to find it. It'll be visible from the treeline though, and that should make it fairly easy to find. It's really dried out since the spring rains. It also means I have to relocate my office so I can see when birds arrive and turn the camera on and off. That's kind of important. Ah well...the only constant in life is change. Merry Christmas folks! If you'd like to support the channel you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/mybackyardyt