A Magpie's Tale

A Magpie's Tale narrates the experiences of Maggie the magpie and her partner, Alfred. They have an adolescent offspring Alfredo, who seems to get into trouble more often than not. They all live together on the outskirts of a little forest area at the Gold Coast in Queensland Australia.

The story begins with Maggie looking for food to provide for her family where Maggie forms a connection with a neighbour living in an apartment nearby. David becomes the human connection who supports Maggie in some of her life's challenges.

David John Manley was born in 1945. The son of a painter who camouflaged the east coast of Queensland during World War 2, David spent his early childhood in a Queensland coastal town. There he became familiar with the local birds and animals of the region. A favourite past time was fishing in the local creeks and rivers. His boyhood love of birds and his creative imagination have inspired him to write about his nearest neighbours, the birds of the forest.David now lives on Queensland's Gold Coast with his wife Cheryl.