I’ve grown up calling these birds Mudlarks, and have always had them around my home. When I was a child, we rescued an almost fledged chick, which managed to tumble from a nest at the top of an electricity pole. There was no hope of getting it back up there, so we kept in inside overnight, and put it back out under the pole in the daytime. The parent birds fed it during the day, and we took it back in to protect it overnight. While we initially were swooped, the parents came to understand we were protecting their baby. They would sit on the fence and wait for us to deliver or collect the young chick each day. This arrangement lasted for about a week, until the chick could fly. The family continued to visit our yard and we were happy to see the bird we had named ‘Spot’ grow into an adult. This was my first experience of working with nature to keep a young bird alive, and allow it to remain wild, so this species is special for me.
Some eighteen months ago, when we first moved in, we saw a Mudlark here, but I didn’t photograph it as they were so common in the city. I expected them to be common here too, however, it has taken a very long time to see a second sighting of this species. So while I have the chance, I will add it to the bird species list
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Out here, they seem very shy, and keep their distance from the house and from humans. Being a relatively small bird, the photographs I managed to take are not spectacular, but sufficient to identify the key markings.
Fifteen Acres 
There were magpies where I grew up too! I fantasized about catching a small one because I was told they can be taught to talk. I met a lady recently who raised one and it did indeed talk:)
Ah! Magpies would be quite a different experience, I imagine. I suspect the parent birds would not be so forgiving as the Mudlark parents! My mother used to feed adult magpies and if she was late they would all line up outside her window and carol to her until she did feed them. I love it when wild birds allow you to make contact in these subtle ways, but always knowing they are wild and can come and go as they please. Nice to hear from you! Lisa
I love the personalities that the birds have. I am just lately learning that they are all different just as we are. It’s fun.
Yes, I agree. Birds are so full of personality. This is never more evident than in their pursuit for food. It is funny to watch the varying behaviours as they stake out claims and jostle for position (both within the same species and the various inter-species. Thanks for commenting! Lisa
They are BOLD. Made friends with a juvenile who landed on my hand in the backyard. Since then I feed him insects. He likes to land on my head as I’m fishing for my house keys, etc. He came inside and my dog startled him and he was cowering in the corner, I got him onto my hand and carried him to the window sill. I left the room the next minute he streaked through the house with dog in tow and flew out the back window.
Wow! The ones here are quite timid and fly away at the first sight of a human.
This mudlark dropped by each day for about a week and I fed him flies, a few worms and some moths then he disappeared. They are not as common as the magpie is in Sydney.