Magpie Watch - Page 2

Correct. They don't see them. They FEEL them. Second time around they REMEMBER them.

If a magpie only swoops you once and then go's away its a non-event. After a while they get wise and go looking for easier prey.

After my last post stating that I hadn't been swooped all year yet I knew my good luck was going to run out and I was swooped a couple of times on todays ride but it was seriously NOTHING. The first one just hovered above my head and didn't even come close and the second one hit my helmet once and it was done. Certainly NOT typical magpie behavior.

Anthony

Was that coming down the hill from the Lanyon Drive roundabout towards the Tharwa Rd lights? I saw one there going absolutely berserk chasing after a postie, flapping around his helmet, all at 60 km/hr.

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The good news is - I can treat the injuries I am about to inflict.

No, the one I was commenting on happened on Canberra Ave in Kingston but its pretty common. When i was reading the posts suggesting that you could out run a magpie at only 40 odd k/mh I thought that they were kidding themselves.

The best tactic I have against magpies is to watch for their shadow and when they are about to hit bob your head UP towards them. That usually puts them off their strike.

Anthony

Yeah they're faster than 40km/hr. At least in the city they get practice and dont careen into you. Some of the maggies away from towns have no idea, I think one hurt its wing crashing into my helmet. Many years ago a friend got hit by a beak in the temple but he wasnt badly hurt. I sort of make a game of it not to flinch when I'm swooped.

When I said 40+km/hr all I meant was that there's a bit less relative speed once you're up there, so less force in the peck in theory. Plus at 40k you're getting away from his tree fairly quickly, so he may lose interest after a couple of goes.

They must be over for the season here in Perth anyway. I did a 100km ride yesterday along country roads with big high overhanging gum trees, and didn't get swooped once. I had some cable ties ready in my pocket - I wasn't game to put them on in advance. I've never seen anyone here using them.

They haven't started yet. But they are starting to fire up now. November is the time over in Perth to watch these blighters.

Last year I had a magpie camping on top of a traffic light waiting for me to take off And this was right out in front of a bike shop as well.