For those doing the Oaks Firetrail (Woodford to Glenbrook), There is a magpie nesting at the junction of the Appian Way and Parker St. He swoops you as you ride down the hill before the T intersection onto Taylor Road. In past years he seemed content to swoop and squark, but I've heard a few people say he is contacting this year.
On Sep 24, 10:06 pm, "Ken & Stace" <stac...@bigpool.com> wrote:
> For those doing the Oaks Firetrail (Woodford to Glenbrook), There is a > magpie nesting at the junction of the Appian Way and Parker St. > He swoops you as you ride down the hill before the T intersection onto > Taylor Road. > In past years he seemed content to swoop and squark, but I've heard a few > people say he is contacting this year.
Yeah, he's only swooped and sqawked at me, but I know of someone who came under enough attack that she fell off her bike - not sure if she actually was hit or not. Mind you, last time I rode through he ignored me. Maybe you look too much like a postie? ;^P
I posted this one and the really vicious one at the intersection of Queens Rd and the highaway at Hazelbrook on http://www.magpiepatrol.com/. That bugger chases and hits - hard, and for a long way.
On Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:06:35 -0700, Tony F wrote: > Yeah, he's only swooped and sqawked at me, but I know of someone who > came under enough attack that she fell off her bike -
Sounds like we need a cheap road/track side sign we can put out for maggie season to warn people so they are prepared.
Anyone up to composing a swooping maggie over bicyclist design.
suggest A4 size.
There is a brand of drafting film around than can be run through a laser printer and applied to your surface (steel plate, corflute, etc) which can then be mounted as a sign. The actual laser film will stay on a sun exposed steel plate for years.
> On Sep 24, 10:06 pm, "Ken & Stace" <stac...@bigpool.com> wrote: >> For those doing the Oaks Firetrail (Woodford to Glenbrook), There is a >> magpie nesting at the junction of the Appian Way and Parker St. >> He swoops you as you ride down the hill before the T intersection onto >> Taylor Road. >> In past years he seemed content to swoop and squark, but I've heard a few >> people say he is contacting this year.
> Yeah, he's only swooped and sqawked at me, but I know of someone who > came under enough attack that she fell off her bike - not sure if she > actually was hit or not. Mind you, last time I rode through he ignored > me. Maybe you look too much like a postie? ;^P
> I posted this one and the really vicious one at the intersection of > Queens Rd and the highaway at Hazelbrook on http://www.magpiepatrol.com/. > That bugger chases and hits - hard, and for a long way.
Meh. I've stopped worrying about magpies. In the town I lived in a couple of years ago there was one which would swoop from behind, sit on your shoulders and attack your helmet. If you put zip ties on your helmet it would fly alongside and attack your ears. Nothing I've encountered since comes close to that one.
There are a couple of locals that have hit my helmet once or twice this season. I've just ignored them and kept pedalling, and they've left me alone since. Maybe the secret is not to react.
-- John Any plan where you lose your hat is a bad plan. -- Girl Genius
On 2009-09-25, John Pitts (aka Bruce) was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
> On 2009-09-24, Tony F <thefathi...@gmail.com> wrote: >> I posted this one and the really vicious one at the intersection of >> Queens Rd and the highaway at Hazelbrook on http://www.magpiepatrol.com/. >> That bugger chases and hits - hard, and for a long way.
> Meh. I've stopped worrying about magpies.
You've never lost an eye or an ear then, have you?
Personally, my local one didn't attack me today, so on Monday I'm worried that he's going to have some nuclear arsonal handy for me when I round the corner, and then I'll be able to do nothing.
> In the town I lived in a > couple of years ago there was one which would swoop from behind, sit on > your shoulders and attack your helmet. If you put zip ties on your > helmet it would fly alongside and attack your ears. Nothing I've > encountered since comes close to that one.
> There are a couple of locals that have hit my helmet once or twice this > season. I've just ignored them and kept pedalling, and they've left me > alone since. Maybe the secret is not to react.
By definition, if you kept on riding, you reacted.
Bird trying to keep you away -> You left --> therefore, the bird won.
HAW HAW, stupid hu-mans! Birds are smarterer than you!
-- TimC My mom says you shouldn't encourage me. -- Theresa Willis
John Pitts wrote: > Meh. I've stopped worrying about magpies. In the town I lived in a > couple of years ago there was one which would swoop from behind, sit on > your shoulders and attack your helmet. If you put zip ties on your > helmet it would fly alongside and attack your ears. Nothing I've > encountered since comes close to that one.
I have only 2 cable ties fitted - one protruding from each side to protect my ears. I wear wrap-around sunglasses. The birds are welcome to go for the top of my helmet as hard as they like.
> There are a couple of locals that have hit my helmet once or twice this > season. I've just ignored them and kept pedalling, and they've left me > alone since. Maybe the secret is not to react.
Gee John - I had a bit of my ear removed by a Maggie - ever since any talk of Magpies and I can feel my heart start going into overtime. Last year I painted 2 eyes on my helmet and they didnt come near me after that but I could see them and that was enough for me to find other routes to work, even if they were 10/15 kms longer. I just cant ride with Magpies swooping. They scare me to death. Kathy
> Gee John - I had a bit of my ear removed by a Maggie - ever since any talk > of Magpies and I can feel my heart start going into overtime. Last year I > painted 2 eyes on my helmet and they didnt come near me after that but I > could see them and that was enough for me to find other routes to work, even > if they were 10/15 kms longer. I just cant ride with Magpies swooping. They > scare me to death. > Kathy
I don't think `scared' quite covers it. `Wary' would be more appropriate in all but the most aggro cases. What you really have cause to be scared of is those out there year round with brain the size of magpie's, aggressive intent and in charge of two tonnes of metal. Just don't let them scare you off the road completely, and/or adopt basic self-defence measures. Cheers, Ray
On 2009-09-25, TimC <tconn...@no.spam.accepted.here-astro.swin.edu.au> wrote:
> On 2009-09-25, John Pitts (aka Bruce) > was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea: >> On 2009-09-24, Tony F <thefathi...@gmail.com> wrote: >>> I posted this one and the really vicious one at the intersection of >>> Queens Rd and the highaway at Hazelbrook on http://www.magpiepatrol.com/. >>> That bugger chases and hits - hard, and for a long way.
>> Meh. I've stopped worrying about magpies.
> You've never lost an eye or an ear then, have you?
I've had a scratched cornea courtesy of a maggie. The wing brushed across my eye as it flew past from behind. Hurt like hell.
The one in Dubbo bloodied my ear a couple of times.
> By definition, if you kept on riding, you reacted.
> Bird trying to keep you away > -> You left > --> therefore, the bird won.
> HAW HAW, stupid hu-mans! Birds are smarterer than you!
Heh. That's probably what the bird thinks, and that's fine.
-- John ALL CAPS TALK LEADS TO B1FF T4LK. B1FF T4LK LE4D$ 2 W4r37_t4LK. W4r3Zt/\1k L34d$ 2 31337 \/\//\r37_ |>0o|) 7/\|_|<, 4|\||) 7|¬3|23 7!¬3 |)/\|2|( 51|)3 |_13$ -- Charles Cooke
> > Gee John - I had a bit of my ear removed by a Maggie - ever since any talk > > of Magpies and I can feel my heart start going into overtime. Last year I > > painted 2 eyes on my helmet and they didnt come near me after that but I > > could see them and that was enough for me to find other routes to work, even > > if they were 10/15 kms longer. I just cant ride with Magpies swooping. They > > scare me to death. > > Kathy
>Seems to be a late season this year. Two have come after me in the past week,
both in suburban shopping centres. Yesterday's kept after me for 100 metres and was also bombing pedestrians. To quote an old saying, must be the weather...
> > > Gee John - I had a bit of my ear removed by a Maggie - ever since any talk > > > of Magpies and I can feel my heart start going into overtime. Last year I > > > painted 2 eyes on my helmet and they didnt come near me after that but I > > > could see them and that was enough for me to find other routes to work, > even > > > if they were 10/15 kms longer. I just cant ride with Magpies swooping. > They > > > scare me to death. > > > Kathy
Shite!!!! You'd really like it here, now the nearest one after me is directly outside my front door (!) I can't come in or out of my own frigging driveway without being bombed. Must be a new one in the area, I've lived here for five years and that's never happened before. 26 October is pretty late in the season as well. Little bastard.
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