I say oh crap and look for another one

I say - Good Morning Mr Magpie - how are you and the wife and children. God knows why 

I do salute when I'm saying this.

"Good morning Mr Magpie. How is your wife today?"

That's what someone told me you should say.

I googled to find out why we salute lone magpies and found this:

"Seems little strange, doesn't it, that saluting a bird could ward off bad luck? Yet in many parts of the United Kingdom spying a single magpie is considered an omen of bad fortune and saluting it is a way of showing the proper respect in hope that the magpie won't pass on some of the misfortune that follows it.As magpies usually mate for life seeing one on its own is as sign of sorrow because it's lost it's mate, whereas if you see two it's is a sign of joy as it's with it's mate. This is why when you see a single magpie you ask after it's wife, thus suggesting it has a mate and is in fact happy - hence the rhyme one for sorrow , two for joy!"

What if it's not morning though?

I love Magpies!!!    I know loads of people hate them, but I think they are lovely. 

its really really sad when you see one that has lost its mate...   its usually really really obvious, cos they basically lose the will to live, don't look after themselves & tend to just not bother to thrive anymore.

the big gangs of them you see are usually groups of juvenille males or females...    all just waiting to cop off with each other 

oh & I just salute when I see a solitary one  (& hope its just a case of not being able to see their mate)

I say Good Afternoon or Good Evening instead.

Same here but i always look for another one, there was 4 in the tree in my garden the other day 

My friend's trying to explain to her wee girl that they're not penguins, and penguins don't live in trees, she's having none of it though  

There was an 'overheard conversation' bit on the radio this week and this mum was asked by her daughter why the penguins in the zoo had tags on their arms and she told her it's to make sure they don't fly away

Awww i've just seen 2 robins sitting on the washing line 

 ! 

I hate seeing them, I always seem to see one, and even when I see two they never bring good luck! I used to say good morning Mr magpie but now I am defiant... I sometimes i even flick them the v's

I'm not overly superstitious with most things but I would never, ever do that. You are indeed a rebel   

Magpies? Nah.

I don't believe in superstition, I was born on the 13th

Also once I broke a mirror... and the next 7 years were the best of my life.

I tired, I really did, I was always nice to them...it got me nowhere

I dont like breaking mirrors, touch wood i cant remember the last time i bought one (its got to be over 7 years i should think )

!

You're mixing your superstitions there, Gyps...breaking mirrors, and  touching wood? 

I wouldn't dare say the last time you touched wood, you being in a respectable relationship and all  

FILF!!!

I have to say im a wood toucher!  So much so that last xmas zazz bought me a really nice wooden ring (2 actually) so that I could stop the frantic search for wood every time i said "touch wood" ...which I say quite a lot. Now im constantly touching wood !

Oh Gyps... wood does feel lovely... and I mean that, I miss  my wild Irish childhood sometimes... ya can't beat a lovely sapling of of Ash or Birch or Rowan tree.We tried to grow it before the  feckin' neighbours cut it down 

I usually say hello, good morning/afternoon/evening and hope it scoots off   I hate them   although since one of our local churches burnt down, the crows that used to live there have now relocated by our houses and they're giving the maggies hell

I usually stand under a ladder and throw salt at them, over the wrong shoulder. 

Good on you Bliz!