killer magpies

shout2thelord

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what this about everytime i walk to college a magpie tries to take my head off. Its the biggest topic of conversation at the moment with all the students living in our area. yesterday i got attecked by 2 at once - they stuck their claws at my head. so i ran but then they come at you harder.
we have heard every rumor about how you can stop it but the only definately way is to walk in a group or when its dark.

No one told me that living in australia was dangerous!
 

HotToast

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Shout2thelord, I'm sorry that you have been attacked by magpies. :hug:

Usually magpies only do this if someone has stirred them at some stage (like throwing things at them) unfortunately some kids like to do this sort of thing. They tend to be pretty "tame" if they are left alone, infact I hear many stories of magpies that will eat out of people's hands.
 
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marduke

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lol its quite funny really.... i bet nearly everyone in Aus has had that experience... i know i have and the magpie hit its target with great accuracy.... and pain...

to add to whats been said above, they also do it to protect their nests which they think anyone coming near it is there to harm its eggs.
 
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KristianJ

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HotToast said:
Shout2thelord, I'm sorry that you have been attacked by magpies. :hug:

Usually magpies only do this if someone has stirred them at some stage (like throwing things at them) unfortunately some kids like to do this sort of thing. They tend to be pretty "tame" if they are left alone, infact I hear many stories of magpies that will eat out of people's hands.

I saw some plovers at uni last week behaving similarly, and they were being provoked by TAFE students (the facility where my uni campus is has a TAFE campus as well as a uni campus) kicking a football around. Was quite an interesting sight. :) But being the victim of swooping birds can be quite common, and it matters not what type of bird - last week or the week before I almost had a rainbow lorikeet fly straight into my head :confused:
 
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Neenie1

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Yep, it's that time of year for magpies. We have a few around here. One or 2 that swoop us across the road in the grass area. (which is a shame because we have a small backyard and I like to take Daniel across the road to ride his trike. So this time of year we just stay away from there. Must admit we're looking forward to Summer so we can get across to the oval again. Haven't been doing it too much since Emily was born.
 
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prodromos

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shout2thelord said:
what this about everytime i walk to college a magpie tries to take my head off. Its the biggest topic of conversation at the moment with all the students living in our area. yesterday i got attecked by 2 at once - they stuck their claws at my head. so i ran but then they come at you harder.
we have heard every rumor about how you can stop it but the only definately way is to walk in a group or when its dark.
Carry an umbrella or a big stick you can wave around your head. Either that or wear a helmet ;)

No one told me that living in australia was dangerous!
You haven't experienced the drop bears yet :p

Let's see, Australia has some of the worlds most venemous snakes, the most venemous spiders, as well as the most venemous creature on the planet, the box jellyfish. Then there's the sharks and if you live up north you've got saltwater croc's as well. And they call Australia the lucky country :D

John
 
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HotToast

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prodromos said:
Let's see, Australia has some of the worlds most venemous snakes, the most venemous spiders, as well as the most venemous creature on the planet, the box jellyfish. Then there's the sharks and if you live up north you've got saltwater croc's as well. And they call Australia the lucky country :D

John

Yeah, because if you don't get attacked by any of the above then you are extremely lucky!! :D :D
 
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Lil'_Miss_Princess_Aimz

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hmmm...

i had that experience once... then i realised that i was walking through the magpie's "territory" and it was a mummy magpie, an had young around...

so yea, just b careful not to threaten the young magpies, an hopefully the mummy will soon leave u alone... good luck!! :hug: (to keep u safe!)
 
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erin74

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We used to walk to schook with a stick, waving it around madly. We would drop the stick at the other end of the park we lived across from. Then on the way home we would pick it up again for the return journey.

One of the the other guys saw the shadow coming toward him one day, lifted his school bag up, and THWACK it flew straight into his folder in his bag. Stunned it, but it was back for more pretty soon after.

Look on the bright side - at least they're not poisonous.
 
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thejesusfish90

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I use the stick method... at my primary school, in order to get to the canteen you had to pass through a stand of gum trees, in which there was a significant population of magpies, so we were told to carry sticks and travel in groups to avoid swooping... Although I must say I found that the indian miners (little brown bird with yellow linning its eyes) were the more vicious species... lol... and I also find myself frequently at the mercy of a vicious population of ducks, who reside in a park through which I have to travel in order to get to the train station everyday.... :p

YBIC

Chris
 
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shout2thelord

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we have a bus now so we dont have to face the magies in the morning! but only later on i take my brolly now it works great. but staring at it doesnt work the first time i got attacked i was starring at it. the non confrontational method works best cos they are clueless no matter how many times you hit them they come back. my housemate was attcked by 3 the other day!
 
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