Magpies! Known swoopers??

JoeDe said:

Yes it's the time of the year again when our feathered friends turn frisky.
I'm listing the first black spot (or should I say black & white spot) area
where swooping has started.

Warrandyte-Kangaroo Ground Rd
Two cycling mates got swooped riding from Warrandyte to Kangaroo Ground from
a persistant bird which made contact. Known swoopers from areas last year
haven't yet started but I'll post if they do.
I find the best solution is to plainly detour till the middle of Oct.

A this time of the year Maggie hater!

I had the first swoop of the season last week, Mt Stromlo, but rather
feeble.
They'll hot up soon.
Last october one day I was bombed 8 times, 8 different birds.
because of the drought at that time many country birds nested in town.
Better cat and dog food.
The worst one sat on my shoulder and tried to peck my brain through my
ear.

Does sewing a pair of eyes on the helmet stop maggies?

Patrick Turner

Patrick Turner said:

JoeDe said:

Yes it's the time of the year again when our feathered friends turn frisky.
I'm listing the first black spot (or should I say black & white spot) area
where swooping has started.

Warrandyte-Kangaroo Ground Rd
Two cycling mates got swooped riding from Warrandyte to Kangaroo Ground from
a persistant bird which made contact. Known swoopers from areas last year
haven't yet started but I'll post if they do.
I find the best solution is to plainly detour till the middle of Oct.

A this time of the year Maggie hater!

I had the first swoop of the season last week, Mt Stromlo, but rather
feeble.
They'll hot up soon.
Last october one day I was bombed 8 times, 8 different birds.
because of the drought at that time many country birds nested in town.
Better cat and dog food.
The worst one sat on my shoulder and tried to peck my brain through my
ear.

Does sewing a pair of eyes on the helmet stop maggies?

Patrick Turner

No, it don't, neither does attaching a pair of garbage ties to the
helmet (I tried that). There are also butcher birds and various other
species that get in on the act, and they tend to be more accurate, often
making a direct hit. I don't go on long country tours at this time of
year, as that's asking for trouble. Around the `burbs, I alter my routes
to avoid known target areas.
Does anyone want to modify a taser with an onboard radar system? Might
discourage a few of the little so and sos. On a trip in Gippsland a few
years back, the bombers were flying 500m right across a small valley to
have a go at me.
Cheers,
Ray

Thanks for the update... I'm just about to head out for a solo BR ride which takes in that exact stretch of road. Is it illegal to attach wire and razorblades to helmets? 🙂

I'll print out a few 'eyes' and tape them to my spare helmet and give that a go.

ray said:

No, it don't, neither does attaching a pair of garbage ties to the
helmet (I tried that).

I ride with some guys that swear that cable ties longer than about 20-30cm
work. They had 4-5 on their helmet though.

That said, I'm dubious, because I've seen a friend pilot a remote controlled
propeller plane near the rear end of a magpie season. The bird started
chasing the plane, so he started chasing the bird.
After hitting the bird once, a puff of feathers, and the best he could
manage was to just spook the the magpie.

It didn't give up, just became more wary of it's enemy. And that's after
some de-feathering.

I don't hold much hope for just plain "scaring" it away.
--
Linux Registered User # 302622
<http://counter.li.org>

JoeDe said:

Yes it's the time of the year again when our feathered friends turn frisky.
I'm listing the first black spot (or should I say black & white spot) area
where swooping has started.

Warrandyte-Kangaroo Ground Rd
Two cycling mates got swooped riding from Warrandyte to Kangaroo Ground from
a persistant bird which made contact. Known swoopers from areas last year
haven't yet started but I'll post if they do.
I find the best solution is to plainly detour till the middle of Oct.

A this time of the year Maggie hater!

Also watch our for swans and ducks around the Narrows Bridge in Perth.
They don't swoop but they do get mighty [censored] when you ride by.

Patrick Turner said:

I had the first swoop of the season last week, Mt Stromlo, but rather
feeble.

Quoted message said:

The worst one sat on my shoulder and tried to peck my brain through my
ear.

That would have disappointed the bird.

Quoted message said:

Does sewing a pair of eyes on the helmet stop maggies?

I have a pair of stick-on eyes on the back of my open-face motorcycle
helmet. When I do 100 mph no birds attack me from behind, so it must work.

You can buy stick-on eyes with 'floating' irises in four sizes from your
local haberdashery.

Theo

JoeDe said:

A this time of the year Maggie hater!

I have had a few have a go at me in Melbourne, but just be glad you don't live in Brisbane, they seem to be A LOT more aggressive and persistant and the season is longer, the airport stretch of road was a battle ground at certain times of the year, so I am happy to put up with the few that have a bit of a go at me, when I remember what it was like in Brisbane.

What I don't understand is how come the mountain areas are generally safe havens ?? For example, I have never been attacked at any time around Mt Dandenong or even Mt Cootha in Brisbane ??

On Aug 27, 10:55 am, MikeyOz <MikeyOz.2vy...@no-

mx.forums.cyclingforums.com said:

JoeDe said:

A this time of the year Maggie hater!

I have had a few have a go at me in Melbourne, but just be glad you
don't live in Brisbane, they seem to be A LOT more aggressive and
persistant and the season is longer, the airport stretch of road was a
battle ground at certain times of the year, so I am happy to put up
with the few that have a bit of a go at me, when I remember what it was
like in Brisbane.

What I don't understand is how come the mountain areas are generally
safe havens ?? For example, I have never been attacked at any time
around Mt Dandenong or even Mt Cootha in Brisbane ??

--
MikeyOz

Yes, one [censored] drew blood from me on Nudgee Road on Sunday. When I
got to the coffee shop, two other riders were displaying wounds from
the same bird. Heaven knows who else he got. Hmmm, time to put the
slingshot in the back pocket.

Donga

Donga said:

Yes, one [censored] drew blood from me on Nudgee Road on Sunday. When I
got to the coffee shop, two other riders were displaying wounds from
the same bird. Heaven knows who else he got. Hmmm, time to put the
slingshot in the back pocket.

Donga

Yeah and they are a protected species 🙂

Has there ever been a Magpie related cycling death ??? As in bird attacks, person comes off bike and death has occured ? I almost came of my bike once of that airport road, but I know Nudgee Road as well, that was another good road to ride on, apart from certain times of the year. You quickly learn.

On 2007-08-27, Donga (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

Yes, one [censored] drew blood from me on Nudgee Road on Sunday. When I
got to the coffee shop, two other riders were displaying wounds from
the same bird. Heaven knows who else he got. Hmmm, time to put the
slingshot in the back pocket.

Gah. I was looking forward to getting back home, getting out in the
slightly longer days (I can leave at normal leaving time, and still
get home before dark), and trying out my new helmet cam (got to learn
how to post to youtube).

But I forgot about The Enemy. Maybe I'll get their licence plate on
camera as they are beating a hasty cowardly retreat after I Have Words
With Them?

--
TimC
VBScript is designed to be a secure programming environment. It
lacks various commands that can be potentially damaging if used in
a malicious manner. This added security is critical in enterprise
solutions. -- support.microsoft.com

BR route magpie report:

1km into the Kangaroo Ground climb I heard a few of them getting grumpy.. no attacks though. More up around the top of the climb, I had a shadow for a while then a car came past and it took off. More of them watching me on Clintons Rd...

Then as I eased into the roundabout in Diamond Creek - TAP... only a friendly peck on the head, a little arm waving and name calling and he went away 🙂

I'm not sure if the helmet eyes worked much, but I'm keeping them on there until proven otherwise. These are the eyes I printed: http://tinyurl.com/28rxqn

lama

On Aug 27, 12:11 pm, MikeyOz <MikeyOz.2vy...@no-

mx.forums.cyclingforums.com said:

Yeah and they are a protected species 🙂

Has there ever been a Magpie related cycling death ??? As in bird
attacks, person comes off bike and death has occured ?

Another rider at the smoko table this morning asserted there was a
death last year, from a rider spooked by a magpie getting hit by a
car. He said the EPA will go out and bait a bird that is a genuine
hazard (that's in Qld).

gplama said:

BR route magpie report:

1km into the Kangaroo Ground climb I heard a few of them getting
grumpy.. no attacks though. More up around the top of the climb, I had
a shadow for a while then a car came past and it took off. More of them
watching me on Clintons Rd...

Then as I eased into the roundabout in Diamond Creek - TAP... only a
friendly peck on the head, a little arm waving and name calling and he
went away 🙂

I'm not sure if the helmet eyes worked much, but I'm keeping them on
there until proven otherwise. These are the eyes I printed:
http://tinyurl.com/28rxqn

lama

I copped one at the bottom of the big downhill coming into Wdyte just
near the CFA shed last year. That was the first time I'd been hit there.
Maybe it had been there in the past but we usually came through there as
a group so it may have avoided us.

DaveB

gplama said:

Then as I eased into the roundabout in Diamond Creek - TAP... only a friendly peck on the head, a little arm waving and name calling and he went away 🙂

Probably just seeing you had a food on you.... 🙂

maybe take a couple of sausages cut them up and throw them on the road near where the magpie is, apparently if you feed them enough, they really do remember who you are. My parents basically have one now that comes and knocks on the back door, when he wants some food, his mate sits on the fence waiting for him to bring the food back.

In article <[email hidden]>,

MikeyOz said:

For example, I have never been attacked at any time
around Mt Dandenong

Head across to Gembrook. Nice ride, bugger of a bird.

--
Shane Stanley

"JoeDe" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Yes it's the time of the year again when our feathered friends turn
frisky.
I'm listing the first black spot (or should I say black & white spot) area
where swooping has started.

Warrandyte-Kangaroo Ground Rd
Two cycling mates got swooped riding from Warrandyte to Kangaroo Ground
from a persistant bird which made contact. Known swoopers from areas last
year haven't yet started but I'll post if they do.
I find the best solution is to plainly detour till the middle of Oct.

A this time of the year Maggie hater!

Got some nasty ones at Kooragang Island in Newcastle, we have our club races
around there and anyone that breaks away or gets dropped are targes.

It's quite fun to leave someone off the front for a bit just to see them
getting hit :P

We even have one just after our finish line so the winners are getting hit
if they win by too much 😉

JoeDe said:

Yes it's the time of the year again when our feathered friends turn frisky.
I'm listing the first black spot (or should I say black & white spot) area
where swooping has started.

Warrandyte-Kangaroo Ground Rd
Two cycling mates got swooped riding from Warrandyte to Kangaroo Ground from
a persistant bird which made contact. Known swoopers from areas last year
haven't yet started but I'll post if they do.
I find the best solution is to plainly detour till the middle of Oct.

A this time of the year Maggie hater!

A fellow rider spotted a maggie a couple of days ago in Mackay
sharpening his beak in preparation for the cyclist season.

I understand that the poor old maggie goes into testosterone overdrive
in spring when his testes swell to 100 times their normal size.
Basically take on the psyche of a sprinter during the season and are
therefore best avoided.

P

ray said:

Patrick Turner said:

JoeDe said:

Yes it's the time of the year again when our feathered friends turn frisky.
I'm listing the first black spot (or should I say black & white spot) area
where swooping has started.

Warrandyte-Kangaroo Ground Rd
Two cycling mates got swooped riding from Warrandyte to Kangaroo Ground from
a persistant bird which made contact. Known swoopers from areas last year
haven't yet started but I'll post if they do.
I find the best solution is to plainly detour till the middle of Oct.

A this time of the year Maggie hater!

I had the first swoop of the season last week, Mt Stromlo, but rather
feeble.
They'll hot up soon.
Last october one day I was bombed 8 times, 8 different birds.
because of the drought at that time many country birds nested in town.
Better cat and dog food.
The worst one sat on my shoulder and tried to peck my brain through my
ear.

Does sewing a pair of eyes on the helmet stop maggies?

Patrick Turner

No, it don't, neither does attaching a pair of garbage ties to the
helmet (I tried that). There are also butcher birds and various other
species that get in on the act, and they tend to be more accurate, often
making a direct hit. I don't go on long country tours at this time of
year, as that's asking for trouble. Around the `burbs, I alter my routes
to avoid known target areas.
Does anyone want to modify a taser with an onboard radar system? Might
discourage a few of the little so and sos. On a trip in Gippsland a few
years back, the bombers were flying 500m right across a small valley to
have a go at me.
Cheers,
Ray

Geesuss. I'm quite happy with angry maggies. None of the hundred+
attacks I have had ever
did any more harm than keep me alert.

One day a bunch under attack rode past me in opposite direction.

One guy goes....

"Dija bring your own maggie?..we brought ours".

Anyway, I am just thankful that crocodiles don't have wings, which could
be a worry.

There are dozens of flying pigs about though, if what the local Canberra
politishuns say is to be believed.
But so far, falling clumps of pig [censored] have all missed me.

Maybe only [censored] pigs who don't squeal can fly.

Patrick Turner.

Donga said:

On Aug 27, 10:55 am, MikeyOz <MikeyOz.2vy...@no-

mx.forums.cyclingforums.com said:

JoeDe said:

A this time of the year Maggie hater!

I have had a few have a go at me in Melbourne, but just be glad you
don't live in Brisbane, they seem to be A LOT more aggressive and
persistant and the season is longer, the airport stretch of road was a
battle ground at certain times of the year, so I am happy to put up
with the few that have a bit of a go at me, when I remember what it was
like in Brisbane.

What I don't understand is how come the mountain areas are generally
safe havens ?? For example, I have never been attacked at any time
around Mt Dandenong or even Mt Cootha in Brisbane ??

--
MikeyOz

Yes, one [censored] drew blood from me on Nudgee Road on Sunday. When I
got to the coffee shop, two other riders were displaying wounds from
the same bird. Heaven knows who else he got. Hmmm, time to put the
slingshot in the back pocket.

Donga

I'd never kill an angry magpie.

We enter their territory without invitation.

Like little black and white insurgents.

I usaully zoom past so quick they only get a couple of swoops,
and the helmet has always kept 'em out.

What's a tiny scratch anyway? be a man and take it.

Patrick Turner.