Magpies again, and something else on the tip of my tongue

This morning as I left home I drove round a corner and there were twelve(or so, they all flew up when they heard my car) magpies sitting chatting together on the kerb. Where are they all coming from? And what are they doing? They really looked like they were having a confab. Very bizarre.

I know there is something else I wanted to post about. I thought about it earlier but I just can't remember it now. Can't have been earth shattering then, can it really? Can't even narrow it down. Was it Potter, home, work, telly? Something I read? No, gone.