dealing with magpies

This is pretty much a question for Australian readers, unless there
are other countries with birds that get aggressive during nesting
season.

My problem is that my route to work takes me past a magpie nesting
tree. Last September these magpies attacked me every time I went past
this tree, and I have the dents in my helmet to show for it. they tend
to fly up and attack from behind your head with their beaks.

Going down the hill is OK because I am gone before they notice I'm
there.

Coming back, I'm climbing in low range and it is more difficult to
escape.

Does anyone have ways that they discourage these attacks? I have heard
of painting large eyes on the back of the helmet and using a
visibility pennant higher than your head (they attack they highest
point apparently. Do any of these work?

Right now the birds are not nesting, but once winter is over they'll
be back, and I want to be ready for them...

Oh and magpies are protected in NSW, so solutions involving the death
or injury of the birds are probably not legal.

On Mon, 7 Apr 2008 16:35:23 -0700 (PDT), ross_w
wrote:

This is pretty much a question for Australian readers, unless there
are other countries with birds that get aggressive during nesting
season.

My problem is that my route to work takes me past a magpie nesting
tree. Last September these magpies attacked me every time I went past
this tree, and I have the dents in my helmet to show for it. they tend
to fly up and attack from behind your head with their beaks.

Going down the hill is OK because I am gone before they notice I'm
there.

Coming back, I'm climbing in low range and it is more difficult to
escape.

Does anyone have ways that they discourage these attacks? I have heard
of painting large eyes on the back of the helmet and using a
visibility pennant higher than your head (they attack they highest
point apparently. Do any of these work?

Right now the birds are not nesting, but once winter is over they'll
be back, and I want to be ready for them...

Oh and magpies are protected in NSW, so solutions involving the death
or injury of the birds are probably not legal.

Dear Ross,

Yes, a feather or two sticking up from a helmet and eyes painted on
the back are common defenses.

You could also try to think of another route for your return.

Or hope that the birds don't show up this year.

This wiki entry mentions two other solutions:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Magpie#Swooping

The hand-feeding approach would be more fun than getting them declared
a nuisance and relocated or destroyed.

But if the birds are attacking bicyclists, then someone's going to end
up hurt, either from a beak in the eye or a crash.

A beak or claw with a half-pound of angry bird behind it can do a lot
of damage if you turn your head to see what's coming. Show the local
authorities the dents in your helmet and remind them that you were
riding a bike at the time.

Before West Nile fever wiped them out along the Arkansas River, the
magpies around here could be a bit territorial. A pair nesting in my
backyard killed garter snakes on the walk and harried the basset
hound, neither of which were any threat to the nest.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

Ross Wonderley wrote:
This is pretty much a question for Australian readers, unless there
are other countries with birds that get aggressive during nesting
season.

My problem is that my route to work takes me past a magpie nesting
tree. Last September these magpies attacked me every time I went past
this tree, and I have the dents in my helmet to show for it. they tend
to fly up and attack from behind your head with their beaks.

Going down the hill is OK because I am gone before they notice I'm
there.

Coming back, I'm climbing in low range and it is more difficult to
escape.

Does anyone have ways that they discourage these attacks? I have heard
of painting large eyes on the back of the helmet and using a
visibility pennant higher than your head (they attack they highest
point apparently. Do any of these work?

Right now the birds are not nesting, but once winter is over they'll
be back, and I want to be ready for them...

Oh and magpies are protected in NSW, so solutions involving the death
or injury of the birds are probably not legal.

Get a new pet to accompany you on your rides:
http://www.alaska-in-pictures.com/data/media/1/peregrine-falcon_6175.jpg.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

In article
,
ross_w wrote:

This is pretty much a question for Australian readers, unless there
are other countries with birds that get aggressive during nesting
season.

My problem is that my route to work takes me past a magpie nesting
tree. Last September these magpies attacked me every time I went past
this tree, and I have the dents in my helmet to show for it. they tend
to fly up and attack from behind your head with their beaks.

Going down the hill is OK because I am gone before they notice I'm
there.

Coming back, I'm climbing in low range and it is more difficult to
escape.

Does anyone have ways that they discourage these attacks? I have heard
of painting large eyes on the back of the helmet and using a
visibility pennant higher than your head (they attack they highest
point apparently. Do any of these work?

Right now the birds are not nesting, but once winter is over they'll
be back, and I want to be ready for them...

Oh and magpies are protected in NSW, so solutions involving the death
or injury of the birds are probably not legal.

Ross,

I know the problem well. I only travel that route once a week in nesting
season.

My doubts about eyes on the helmet and cable ties is that they are
static and magpies are smarter than that.

I have thought about moving deterrents such as streamers or one of those
plastic windmills on a stick that you see at sideshows. The drawback
with either strategy is that it instantly classifies you as a dork. Is
the solution worth the social disgrace?

You need to be able to protect your neck as well as your helmet - not
that it does much damage to your helmet but a swooping magpie is one of
those experiences you are happy to have just once in life.

At least your speed increases as the adrenalin kicks in.

What about a strobe light from a chandler (Whitworths in Sydney is good)?

Let us know if you hit on the 100% solution.

regards,
Darryl

bad karma?
where's your status amung animals ? positive?
try feeding the magpie.
can you whistle? whistle a tune on your approach. something cheerful.
christmas tune does it. do aussies whistle "jingle bells"? a favoirte
here at consumerville.
what does a magpie sound like? whistle magpie and JB
change your smell and helmet color when you start whistling and
feeding the birds.

On Apr 8, 1:21 pm, datakoll wrote:
bad karma?
where's your status amung animals ? positive?
try feeding the magpie.
can you whistle? whistle a tune on your approach. something cheerful.
christmas tune does it. do aussies whistle "jingle bells"? a favoirte
here at consumerville.
what does a magpie sound like? whistle magpie and JB
change your smell and helmet color when you start whistling and
feeding the birds.

I surmise you've never been the target of an angry magpie.

10 months of the year, they're wonderful birds. Smart, not too shabby
looking, inquisitive and often humerous.

I've got a whole family singing and carrolling outside my window at
work right now... very pleasant sound. Come nesting season though, the
only thing you'll hear is the 'clack' as the little blighter just
misses your head.

More aggressive ones have been known to attack the eyes.. even when
wearing helmets.
Look at some of the warnings on
http://www.bq.org.au/cycle-info/hazards.shtml

On Mon, 7 Apr 2008 22:10:20 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

On Apr 8, 1:21 pm, datakoll wrote:
bad karma?
where's your status amung animals ? positive?
try feeding the magpie.
can you whistle? whistle a tune on your approach. something cheerful.
christmas tune does it. do aussies whistle "jingle bells"? a favoirte
here at consumerville.
what does a magpie sound like? whistle magpie and JB
change your smell and helmet color when you start whistling and
feeding the birds.

I surmise you've never been the target of an angry magpie.

10 months of the year, they're wonderful birds. Smart, not too shabby
looking, inquisitive and often humerous.

I've got a whole family singing and carrolling outside my window at
work right now... very pleasant sound. Come nesting season though, the
only thing you'll hear is the 'clack' as the little blighter just
misses your head.

More aggressive ones have been known to attack the eyes.. even when
wearing helmets.
Look at some of the warnings on
http://www.bq.org.au/cycle-info/hazards.shtml

Dear Duncan,

Thanks for the wonderful illustration of regional variation, one of my
favorite topics.

Magpies in the USA occasionally harry smaller animals near their
nests, but they scarcely ever bother people.

Your fierce Australian magpies have their own warning web-page, with
that Google map marking the most dangerous places!

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

datakoll wrote:

what does a magpie sound like?

http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/imag...na-tibicen.mp3
http://www.anbg.gov.au/sounds/magpie-group.mp3
http://www.anbg.gov.au/sounds/magpie.mp3

John

On Apr 8, 1:10*am, wrote:
On Apr 8, 1:21 pm, datakoll wrote:

bad karma?
where's your status amung animals ? positive?
try feeding the magpie.
can you whistle? whistle a tune on your approach. something cheerful.
christmas tune does it. do aussies whistle "jingle bells"? a favoirte
here at consumerville.
what does a magpie sound like? whistle magpie and JB
change your smell and helmet color when you start whistling and
feeding the birds.

I surmise you've never been the target of an angry magpie.

10 months of the year, they're wonderful birds. Smart, not too shabby
looking, inquisitive and often humerous.

I've got a whole family singing and carrolling outside my window at
work right now... very pleasant sound. Come nesting season though, the
only thing you'll hear is the 'clack' as the little blighter just
misses your head.

More aggressive ones have been known to attack the eyes.. even when
wearing helmets.
Look at some of the warnings onhttp://www.bq.org.au/cycle-info/hazards.shtml

you surmise I've never been targeted by angry magpies
this is correct
my suggestion was developing a positive relationship with the colony,
and all other animals so mapgies woud have an alternative to anger
analagous to the Tibetan problem where no one was angry at the monks
for their brutal repressive regime but anger at the Chinese for
liberating the country is extensive.
basic problem is there's too much anger
the monks overlooked that?
reports are boat tail grackles attack during mating season. I peacably
interact with BTG, never experiecing AG directed at me. But on other
birds? I watched the complete crew of 20-30 gather chasing a bird hawk
out of the meadows and out above Estero Bay or a friend BTG circleing/
darting/rasping whistling our local resident red shoulder hawk sitting
atop an Al light pole.
not to cast dispersions but you probably have a negative attitude
suitable for WW1 trench warfare

In article
,
ross_w wrote:

This is pretty much a question for Australian readers, unless there
are other countries with birds that get aggressive during nesting
season.

My problem is that my route to work takes me past a magpie nesting
tree. Last September these magpies attacked me every time I went past
this tree, and I have the dents in my helmet to show for it. they tend
to fly up and attack from behind your head with their beaks.

Going down the hill is OK because I am gone before they notice I'm
there.

Coming back, I'm climbing in low range and it is more difficult to
escape.

Does anyone have ways that they discourage these attacks? I have heard
of painting large eyes on the back of the helmet and using a
visibility pennant higher than your head (they attack they highest
point apparently. Do any of these work?

Right now the birds are not nesting, but once winter is over they'll
be back, and I want to be ready for them...

Oh and magpies are protected in NSW, so solutions involving the death
or injury of the birds are probably not legal.

Stop and make friends? Magpies are smart.
I would try stopping and talking.
(squash racket for back up)

Also get a magpie bird call and try it out.

The crows around here can sometimes get on toot.
Some crow will take a seat and start yakking for
an hour or two. One day I remembered the crow
call given to me (along with some other quality
whistles at Christmas.) I cracked the window and
from behind a curtain started calling back. The
crow got puzzled, angry, nervous, then took off.
The crows do not hang near my house anymore.

I get buzzed by hummingbirds.

--
Michael Press