Bring on the end of the season, that's all I can say!! :)
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Bring on the end of the season, that's all I can say!! :)
Its scary hey...but they are just protecting thier young....I bet if we felt threatend someone was going to hurt our babies we would swoop them too lol!
:hug: Hope your not to shaken xx
Not only do i have to watch out for magpies but we have a lovely pluvver who loves to fly over my head screeching.. DP told me to take the umbrella and try and whack them :lol:
couldnt you just picture a lady pushing a pram down a path and then all of a sudden pull out an umbrella and start runing around chasing birds! :rofl:
My sisters took my brother out to the park when he was 3 and he returned bleeding from the head. Apparently he went near a baby magpie and the mother attacked him! :o hes now petrified of them.
Any cable ties work on bike helmets. Sparkly pipe cleaners are good too, and, you know, a touch more glam than the other two wheeled commuters.
A friend insists that if you're familiar in their territory, they won't swoop. The ones round here don't swoop, but one has followed me into the house looking for food.
Wearing sunglasses on top of your head also apparently works. Alternatively, go the Britney idea, but with a hat - maybe get an op shop or old hat and do up a special maggie season piece?
It is scary. I hate it so much, have only just recovered from my fear after my last swoop two years ago.
That is SUCH a good point Boomba!!:
I hate Magpies and Pluvver's!! As if I want to steal their babies!!! Darn things!!!:
I was going to suggest wearing sunglasses on top of your head too. Here in Adelaide we have magpies that swoop in the main street. I used to walk through their territory on the way to work. I only ever got swooped when I was wearing black - nearly lost an eye the last time. It's a shame 'cause it's so nice walking through the parklands this time of year, but I was always too alert for magpies to really enjoy it.
Up until 1980 (yes you read it right!) I lived in woop woop, literally and NEVER got swooped. Within 2 yrs of living in suburbia, I was swooped to the point it had me laying on the ground! A man came out and threw pebbles at it..........he later turned out to be a high school teacher of mine! lol I am also scared of Maggies!
There are also other birds that swoop.....smaller version of a Maggie....PeeWee???????????
xxxx
Aww I dont think they want to be hit for protecting their babies :( I love the pluvvers in our area they have the cutest little babies running around atm.
We know your not going to hurt them but they dont...instinctive parenting at its best! But its scary when they come at you hey!
I remember being a kid and a magpie nearly took out my brothers eye...we didnt go near that tree again till the bird had moved on...scared the life out of my little brother.
do you remember those hats that came out...one had dame ednas face on the top of it! they were hillarious!
Agree take an umbrella or wear a helmet with some eyes. They have a right to be here too. I think people forget how much territory humans have invaded. The animals shouldn't always have to be the ones to make way.
Not all magpies swoop. They swoop because they feel threatened. If you hit out at them they will feel more threatened. Protect yourself passively.
Goodness, yeah, I totally agree krysalyss - as Boomba mentioned before, we'd do the same if someone was trying to hurt our babies!! They are scary, is all!
I have my umbrella at the ready to put up when we are walking today! LOL
This thread has me in stitches...I know bad humour but swooping magpies always make me laugh. Last year I got my karma though, I was waiting for a tram and watching all these people get swooped across the road and silently giggling and then it came and swooped me! I wasn't laughing then!!
My parents have a shocking one on their property. It sees you in the front garden and comes across the paddock (like 150 metres or more) to swoop us. So much for being famiar in their territory. Also, how are we anywhere near their nest???
DP almost just got swooped about 10 mins ago.
For some reason this magpie hates him (might be the one he drenched the hose back in january) but we were walking up the path near our house and i could see this bird coming towards us and it was going for his head! i screamed "watch out!" and he ducked and it did a weird thing over his head then landed about 2 meters away. he gave me his drink and was going to get it but i told him not to because if he thought someone was after our DD he would 'swoop' them too and he then he starts ranting :lol: :rofl:
Arrrh there is a really aggressive one at the end of our street that is swooping, Might have to try the eyes on the top of our hats. We live in a col-der-sac so no other way out if we want to go for a walk. They are so scary at this time of year.