Australia - New Zealand - Wildlife attacks

So now that spring has arrived, is anyone else being divebombed by magpies? It seems that every route I ride has an angry bird waiting for me, ready to unleash their fury on my helmet. Is anyone else having the same problem or should I be paranoid that they're just targeting me... :(

Magpies vs cyclists is an annual battle in Oz
There are various methods suggested every year to stop or lessen the attacks, - most of which seem to involve making attachments to your helmet which make you look like a complete dick and so the maggies feel sorry for you and leave you alone!! :D :lol:

So now that spring has arrived, is anyone else being divebombed by magpies? It seems that every route I ride has an angry bird waiting for me, ready to unleash their fury on my helmet. Is anyone else having the same problem or should I be paranoid that they're just targeting me... :(

Huh...magpies???...you wanna be thankful STINGRAYS can't fly!

So now that spring has arrived, is anyone else being divebombed by magpies? It seems that every route I ride has an angry bird waiting for me, ready to unleash their fury on my helmet. Is anyone else having the same problem or should I be paranoid that they're just targeting me... :(

its my first springtime as a cyclist and no one ever told me about magpies!!! ive been having battle royales with this one maggy on my fav route....be damned if im changing my routine for the feral bugger!!!

im actually starting to enjoy the challenge of avoiding him - our daily death match...same time, same place...:p

So now that spring has arrived, is anyone else being divebombed by magpies? It seems that every route I ride has an angry bird waiting for me, ready to unleash their fury on my helmet. Is anyone else having the same problem or should I be paranoid that they're just targeting me... :(
No you should be paranoid .... they are lying in wait just for you and communicating via magpie telepathy to warn others of your approach. :p

Swooping magpies are a perennial problem, it is basically the male defending the nesting site. This is entirely natural behaviour and the season lasts from roughly Aug/Sep to around Oct/Nov. As far as deterrents go, I believe some people have had success with attaching large cable ties to their helmets and others swear by tinsel or a small mirror attached to the back of the helmet. As Wilchemy so helpfully pointed out, these make you look rather silly but if they work, it is probably better than a damaged helmet or missing a chunk of skin.

I haven't had any issues with maggies so far this year but I'm on the lookout.

I might put some razor wire on top of my helmet. Barstid Magpies.

I remember having to walk to school with an icecream bucket on my head with eyes painted on the back of it - what a fashion statement! I think it you keep looking at the bird it won't attack. Doesn't help if you're riding though, I've got some nice claw marks in the side of my helmet from the really ANGRY ones.

I might put some razor wire on top of my helmet. Barstid Magpies.

Oooh...nasty. Could be quite handy if you want to go Robbie McEwan style on somebody in a sprint finish too! :D

I remember having to walk to school with an icecream bucket on my head with eyes painted on the back of it - what a fashion statement! I think it you keep looking at the bird it won't attack. Doesn't help if you're riding though, I've got some nice claw marks in the side of my helmet from the really ANGRY ones.

I had a lovely scar on my earlobe for a while, courtesy of a magpie beak. Gives you a hell of a fright when they swoop you in the middle of a group of shops - not a tree in sight!!:eek:

Yeah got attacked twice on my ride last saturday... Buggers I wouldnt mind if the attack was with a bit of notice instead of wooshka bang!:eek: scare the crap out of you for a sec or so. and after I have just done a hilly 100k I dont have a lot left to sprint away.:(

Stop ya whinging you lot.....fair dinkum...maggies are bloody awesome as interval training partners! :D

WWPD - What Would your Postie Do?

They just accelerate away on their woefully underpowered motorbikes.:D

Oh, since you mentioned that it's finally springtime, I thought I'd point out that last night the mountains got a fine dusting of snow.

Oh, since you mentioned that it's finally springtime, I thought I'd point out that last night the mountains got a fine dusting of snow.

Nooooo! Don't torture me! I hate hot weather, and there's is little chance of us making it to Utah for the ski season, so I am really going to be suffering here.:(

Nooooo! Don't torture me! I hate hot weather, and there's is little chance of us making it to Utah for the ski season, so I am really going to be suffering here.:(

I won't say another word...

http://www.meninstudios.com/06162006.jpg

You know, I'm starting to go right off you.

Starting?

Starting?

Ok, I've gone right off you.:D

Better?

I personally blame Mick Malthouse. He should be sacked. And both Anthony Rocca and Chris Tarrant should be traded. Oh, this is Bike Forums? Sorry.

Does anybody have any good Magpie recipes?

Ok, I've gone right off you.:D

Better?

Yeah, the suspense was killing me, not knowing when the hammer would finally fall.

There's a good blackbird pie recipe that could be adapted. First catch your 24 magpies... :p

Ok, I've gone right off you.:D

Better?

http://meninstudios.com/rwb.jpg

Yes, 'tis th season.

The reason why most nasty Maggies are nasty is directly because of negative experiences in the past, which tends to carry on thru the generations (the babies see it and do the same). Sometimes it's someone wearing a red shirt that throws things at them, sometimes it's a bike, a dog, a child, an old person... whatever it is, they are only reacting to the associated negative experience. Some people walk around with a stick, which often attracts their aggresive attentions because they have bad experiences with stoopid agressive stick-waving humans. It's not the magpies, it's US. The magpies at my place eat out of my hand; they don't swoop at ours because they like eating. So do their babies!

There are only really 4 practical approaches to the problem:
1.) avoid them;
2.) stop everyday and leave food in an appropriate place for a couple of weeks;
3.) bang cable ties on yr helm (I ride a large tallbike everyday in Canberra - it works);
4.) paste some eyes on the back of yr helmet. They have to look realistic (ie. proportionally. Doesn't have to in technocolour or anything!); when you look at a Maggie (or if they think you are looking at them), they won't swoop. That's where the other set of eyes comes in handy, as the other adult Maggie will normally come from behind. The trick is getting the eyes to look like eyes.

Expat, you're an evil bastid.:p

Expat, you're an evil bastid.:p

If you're only going to do one thing, do it well.

I reckon a helmet mounted self aiming shottie on a gimbal would be the go :D

Sharks on your helmet. With lasers in their mouths. So when they open their mouths, it shoots lasers at the birds.

Yes, 'tis th season.

The reason why most nasty Maggies are nasty is directly because of negative experiences in the past

Don't try and psychoanaylise the little black and white turds. The weren't molestered as kiddies or anything. They are evil bastards. They hate cyclists. They'd probably drive 4wds or taxis if they were human and want us to pay rego.

Hmmm, some pretty intelligent discussion going on here — impressive.

Um, yep, O... K...

So sometine in the distant and hazy past someone on a bike made a whole stack of magpies crazy angry, what do they think we're gonna do? Ride up the tree trunk to get to their nests?

A squirt from a water bottle does the trick in terms of getting rid of most magpies. I say "most" because I don't think even a bullet would stop that psycho near Uki in the Tweed Valley. I've just been avoiding that whole area lately, I've been chased for 5km by that creature in the past.

Hmmm, some pretty intelligent discussion going on here — impressive.

Um, yep, O... K...

For this group? Yeah, it's a pretty intelligent discussion.

Don't try and psychoanaylise the little black and white turds. The weren't molestered as kiddies or anything. They are evil bastards. They hate cyclists. They'd probably drive 4wds or taxis if they were human and want us to pay rego.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

So the new term for arsehole drivers is magpie?

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

So the new term for arsehole drivers is magpie?

Indeed.

I've been chased for 5km by that creature in the past.

Hell's Teeth!

Yeah, the magpies are coming back here in NZ too... bloody buggers!