Magpie Swooping Season

[Overlandman]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-31/m ... ds/4926620

The arrival of spring has sparked a warning about the return of a seasonal threat - swooping magpies.
People are being urged to be on the lookout for swooping magpies as the birds become protective of their nests during breeding season.
The birds can cause serious injuries by pecking people's heads, ears and eyes.
A seven-year-old boy has already been treated for a head wound after being swooped on at Gunnedah in north-western New South Wales yesterday.
Inspector Norm Spalding from the NSW Ambulance Service says anyone venturing outdoors needs to be on guard.
"It's increased at this time of the year," Inspector Spalding said of the risks.
"It's usually over by the end of September. Obviously attacks can be nasty.
"We've had cases where children have received extensive lacerations and wounds. The risk is always there."
Inspector Spalding says cyclists and children tended to be more at risk of attack.
"Fast moving objects like a kid on a bike are more likely to sustain an attack than a slow moving person because you know obviously something moving fast is perceived as more of a threat," he said.
"One of things of frantically waving your arms around when you're in a panic is actually going to encourage an attack in most cases, but that's very difficult to tell a small child."

[GPSGuided]

What are those magpies thinking?!?

[neilmny]

Ah ha time to break out the Akubra again.

I got clobbered as a little tacker (about 2 1/2) not far from where I now live.
Ever since a swooping maggie alarms the crap out of me.
You'd reckon a bloke would get over it

[phan_TOM]

You'd reckon a bloke would get over it

The air splitting sound as a magpie swoops gives me the fear too, sometimes I even get a start when hear one flying past
I do a run 3-4 times a week along a quiet back road where I live and around this time of year there is usually a swooping magpie and some plovers to keep the heart rate up and the lap times fast (I much prefer the plovers at least they have the decency of calling out a warning before they start their attack run). I must look a bit foolish running along waving a stick over my head... and a total tool when I get to the camphor laurel tree that has a bees nest in it and I press my lips shut while holding my hands over my ears hahaha

I'd like to generalise them all as evil *&%$#! but the sweet song one sang to me yesterday while I had my lunch more than makes up for it

[perfectlydark]

Ah yep. After a lovely lunch with the family today and walking home I had my 1yo up on shoulders. Great day until the unseen maggie swooped and planted a cut on the little bloke. Hes alright, just a small nick but he got a good scare. Needless to say no more piggy back on that street!

[ULWalkingPhil]

Dangerous birds during there nesting season, I've been knocked of my pushbike in the past, had a mate that had his eye cut and another slashed his ear.

They scare me during the nesting season.

[Chris]

I still have vivid memories of being under attack in Centennial Park in Sydney more than 40 years ago. That's the only time I've ever had a problem with magpies - never before in the years I lived in Tassie, and never since. Neither have I heard of anyone else being attacked here. There are many living locally where I walk regularly. I love hearing their songs, and reassure them that I am their friend when they appear afraid of me
Are the Tasmanian ones less aggressive than their mainland cousins, or have I just been fortunate in the ones I have met?

[Pteropus]

Magpies might just be attracted to bike helmets