Magpies love eyes on helmets

Well they are at it again! Rode to work the other day in the crippling heat
(30kms) and in the last 2kms I got the Magpie treatment. I rekon it is the
same one that has got me for the last two years. Anyway, I spent the day at
work doing a great drawing on paper and attaching it to my helmet. With all
the confidence in the world I set out in 39degree heat (Mareeba FNQ) and low
and behold the damn bird was attracted more to my eyes than ever before! I
got off and walked and it wasnt until I took the helmet off that he actually
left me alone. One of my clients had told me that he walks that way each
morning without a hat and has never been swooped! Do they just like fast
things ie people on bikes??????
What else can I try??
Kathy

"just us" wrote in message
...
Well they are at it again! Rode to work the other day in the crippling
heat (30kms) and in the last 2kms I got the Magpie treatment. I rekon it
is the same one that has got me for the last two years. Anyway, I spent
the day at work doing a great drawing on paper and attaching it to my
helmet. With all the confidence in the world I set out in 39degree heat
(Mareeba FNQ) and low and behold the damn bird was attracted more to my
eyes than ever before! I got off and walked and it wasnt until I took the
helmet off that he actually left me alone. One of my clients had told me
that he walks that way each morning without a hat and has never been
swooped! Do they just like fast things ie people on bikes??????
What else can I try??
Kathy


Some of the local racers put cable ties on their helmets and have them
sticking up full length in the air, helmet sort of looks like some sort of
porcupine :P

We have a really nasty bird that attacks riders in the bunch as we race past
it's territory, problem is we have a U turn just after his territory and we
come back past and get swooped again, this bird takes big pieces of foam out
of the back of the helmets and has even been known to land on a riders back
and grip and peck till they get out of it's territory.

We don't get too many break aways happening at that point of the race funny
enough, as saftey in numbers is the key with this bird and don't be on the
back, although I have seen it go for riders in the middle of the pack at
least once.

As for the cable ties those that have them swear by them and not at the bird




-- Posted on news://freenews.netfront.net - Complaints to --

"just us" wrote in message
...
Do they just like fast things ie people on bikes??????
What else can I try??
Kathy

Nah, they're all unique in what they decide is a threat. The vast majority
don't see humans as any threat at all. It's only a small percentage that
will swoop and fewer still that actually strike. Some hate walkers. Some
hate bikes. Some only pick on postie bikes. Some will lay off if you stare
at them or use fake eyes on the back of your head but others won't be
worried by that at all or they quickly learn it's a scam. Some attack
certain colours and avoid others, and some will avoid cyclists wearing
camelbacks but attack everyone else or vice versa.

Some people recently have found that most will avoid striking you if you fix
a flashing light to the back of your helmet, but the most effective
deterrent still is zip ties on your helmet. You don't have to use quite as
many as this bloke -
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1038/...b5379f.jpg?v=0, anything
from 2 - 8 will work and the longer the better. Bear in mind this won't stop
them from swooping but it does cause them to baulk at the last moment so
they don't actually make contact. Even with this you'll still get the odd
one that will adapt and start coming in underneath them but those guys are
extremely rare.

You might need to experiment a bit to find what works with your guy but if
he's not striking you just try to ignore him. Most magpie related injuries
happen when people panic and focus on the magpie instead of where they're
going.

--
www.ozcableguy.com
www.oztechnologies.com

On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 10:30:14 GMT, "just us" wrote:

Well they are at it again! Rode to work the other day in the crippling heat
(30kms) and in the last 2kms I got the Magpie treatment. I rekon it is the
same one that has got me for the last two years. Anyway, I spent the day at
work doing a great drawing on paper and attaching it to my helmet. With all
the confidence in the world I set out in 39degree heat (Mareeba FNQ) and low
and behold the damn bird was attracted more to my eyes than ever before! I
got off and walked and it wasnt until I took the helmet off that he actually
left me alone. One of my clients had told me that he walks that way each
morning without a hat and has never been swooped! Do they just like fast
things ie people on bikes??????
What else can I try??
Kathy


Try a tennis racquet.

just us wrote:

Well they are at it again! Rode to work the other day in the crippling heat
(30kms) and in the last 2kms I got the Magpie treatment. I rekon it is the
same one that has got me for the last two years. Anyway, I spent the day at
work doing a great drawing on paper and attaching it to my helmet. With all
the confidence in the world I set out in 39degree heat (Mareeba FNQ) and low
and behold the damn bird was attracted more to my eyes than ever before! I
got off and walked and it wasnt until I took the helmet off that he actually
left me alone. One of my clients had told me that he walks that way each
morning without a hat and has never been swooped! Do they just like fast
things ie people on bikes??????

What else can I try??

No idea.

Unfortunately, I've heard of many, many ideas, and while some appear to work
for some people, no _one_ 'thing' works for _everyone_.

Perhaps a combination would be more effective. Like the cable ties, googly
eyes, streamers, hand waving and whatever else.

Sure, you might never have problems with magpies ever again, but then, you'd
probably be so weighed down by all the crap on your head you won't be able to
leave the house in the first place...
--
Linux Registered User # 302622
http://counter.li.org

On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:13:51 +0000, OzCableguy wrote:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1038/...b5379f.jpg?v=0

I suspect that isn't the real reason, but a good story to tell his mates.

sigh, where do you buy coloured cable ties