bastard magpies
well, i guess its that time of season again, those bastard magpies are back in town.
i got smacked by one about 2 weeks ago, and thought it was pretty early, but by all accounts the suckers are out earlier this year and are as mental as ever
so i did a bit of research and found out why the suckers swoop and smack into the back end of your helmet and here goes
Magpie attacks:
For most of the year magpies are not aggressive, but for four to six weeks during nesting they will often defend their territory vigorously. People walking past may be seen as ‘invaders’ of the territory, prompting the magpies to fly low and fast over the person clacking their bills as they pass overhead.
The experience of a magpie attack can be quite alarming, but it is usually only a warning. Only occasionally will a bird actually strike the intruder on the head with its beak or claws. If this unusual behaviour persists, there are ways of reducing the risk of physical injury to humans.
If a magpie swoops at you:
Walk quickly and carefully away from the area, and avoid walking there when magpies are swooping. Make a temporary sign to warn other people. Magpies are less likely to swoop if you look at them. Try to keep an eye on the magpie, at the same time walking carefully away. Alternatively, you can draw or sew a pair of eyes onto the back of a hat, and wear it when walking through the area. You can also try wearing your sunglasses on the back of your head. Wear a bicycle or skateboard helmet. Any sort of hat, even a hat made from an ice cream container or cardboard box, will help protect you. Carry an open umbrella, or a stick or small branch, above your head but do not swing it at the magpie, as this will only provoke it to attack. If you are riding a bicycle when the magpie swoops, get off the bicycle and wheel it quickly through the area. Your bicycle helmet will protect your head, and you can attach a tall red safety flag to your bicycle or hold a stick or branch as a deterrent.
well thats what this website reckoned anyway, why on earth would you get off your bike and try and walk through a magpie attack instead of staying on your bike and getting the hell out of the area alot quicker? it was an aussie website i guess. hah. one scientisty boffin type person i spoke to reckons in the breeding season the males nuts swells up to 5 times the normal size and the dive bombing is just basically uncontrolable roid rage by the males. who knows.
someone on the local tuesday bunchride must have read this though, and i spotted him the other day with this massive tv type aerial thing out the top and sides of his helmet which i almost fell off my bike laughing at, ive seen eyes painted on the back of helmets already and massive red flags off the back of $10,000 racing bikes which is also a new one. i guess for a new rider though a magpie divebomb would actually put the shits right up you, especially the aggressive suckers out the bottom of the port hills, those things will divebomb anyone even if your in the middle of the bunch
i dont mind the maggies to much, i normally get the pump out and have a good swing, never connected yet but maybe one day ill give one of them the smack and that will nullify all the peck marks and scratches ive had in the back of my helmets over the years haha
