Magpies getting smarter?
Around July 26, which is surprisingly early, I had my first magpie strike of the season. A
magpie slammed into my helmet several times out near Mawson Lakes. So out came
the cable ties.
Cable ties sticking up out of the helmet prevent the birds from hitting the rider on the
head. They don’t like flying into the
little forest of twigs. It’s very effective, although it makes the rider look somewhat
strange. A lady once asked me at the traffic lights why I had all this stuff on
my head. I said it was to keep the
aliens away, and she took a step back! I then said it was for magpies, but she
was not convinced, and looked the other way.
Magpies learn. A couple of weeks ago this same magpie, which has been swooping over me
and swearing profusely twice a day, began to fly in from the side, slamming
into my head underneath the cable ties. In response I now have cable ties
sticking out from the side of the helmet. The magpie was reduced to frustrated
swearing and squawking, and I now look like a real idiot.
This morning, at the end of August, the
magpie tried a new tactic. It came in
low and fast, thudding into my shoulder. “Fail,” thought I, amply protected by jacket,
jersey and shirt. That was gloating too soon. It soon became clear the
technique simply needed a little practice. You ricochet off the point of the
shoulder and up into the neck and the earlobe. It’s very effective, it draws
blood, and avoids the cable ties.
So tonight I will have added some more cable ties to droop down over my neck. It’s a pest. They howl in the wind. I look like a prize drongo. But it’s the nicest route home, along creeks
and away from traffic. I don’t want to abandon it. Besides, there are other
magpies on the alternative ways home.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Alastair (A-Man) Dowler on -
Loose the cable ties and strap a fake owl on your head or maybe a wedge tailed eagle.
Great read btw
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Permalink Reply by Nigel "Griffo" Griffiths on -
I'd have to agree with you Andrew, the cunning birds are getting smarter. Last Sunday morning I rode my bike into Nth Adelaide to collect my car from Melbourne St after attending a friends engagement come wedding the night before. As I rode south along Le Fevre Tce near the corner of Kingston Tce (1st inclusion on magpie watch 2010 btw) I could hear it making all manner of squawking and was waiting for the bump on the helmet. Didn't happen, instead, it attacked me from the left hand side under the helmet just below the temple 2 inches from my left eye. After frantic hand and arm waving the maggie disappeared and after touching the area I found out it had drew blood and I still have 4 very small wounds where it got me.
I wonder, if such attacks can cause such wounding (who knows, the next victim might not be so lucky and might lose an eye), can the council trap the bird and move it on/destroy it? I dont fancy wearing a wig as A.V.O. has discovered in his video link. Mind you, I was only riding along that road to collect my car.
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Permalink Reply by heather on -
Moving or destroying the bird would affect its mate and offspring as well. Inappropriate.
I wear clear sunglasses at all times. Protects my eyes from road rubbish and insects, even at night.
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Permalink Reply by Andrew Prior on -
I think the wounding/head contact issue is the serious one. I don't mind the constant swooping and snapping, or even the body contact. Head contact is different. I nearly got brought down on Main North Road in rush hour at Mawson Lakes. The bike lane makes no difference if the bugger hits you side on... felt like a football kicked into my head, and without warning... and I went straight into the car lane before getting control of the bike. I've been hit without warning by idiots throwing cans and hamburgers, but body strikes seem to cause less of an instinctive reaction than a head blow.
The problem with the wig solution is that unless you wear it all the time, it won't work when you get a surprise attack.
I'm a bit puzzled by the wig/no helmet thing in the videos. As a kid we had constant magpie issues on the way to school, and I've also had it jogging and walking minus a helmet. My bike experience is that they used to thump the top of the helmet. The side attacks down low have been a much more recent experience.
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Permalink Reply by Gus K on -
Today is the last day of winter... tomorrow spring which is maggie season.
Nigel is referring to the Magpie Watch map. It is a sort of co-production with Adelaide Cyclists and a bunch of other cycling enthusiasts around the nation including our cousin sites in Sydney and Melbourne.
Add your location to the map... http://www.adelaidecyclists.com/page/2010-magpie-watch
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Permalink Reply by Andrew Prior on
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It's been there for a week or two!
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Permalink Reply by Belinda Hoare on -
Magpies and shoulders... they're smart little buggers. I once had a magpie land on my shoulder, latch on, and give the side of my head under the helmet a barrage of pecks, woodpecker-style. No blood, but plenty of profanity...
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Permalink Reply by Clive Palfrey on -
If it's only the one location that you are getting attacked you could consider carrying something like the wig in your back pocket and just covering your helmet whilst in the birds territory, then again it can be quite good fun giving scary answers to non cyclists.
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Permalink Reply by Gus K on
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Have you seen this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z34CWfYM5vY
It might not be that they are getting smarter but more dedicated to the kill. See the look in its eyes!
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Permalink Reply by heather on
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I have seen one cyclist with cable ties on top of his helmet. He had to explain to me why. Now I recognise the cyclist by his helmet.
Andrew, it was amusing imagining you with many more cable ties (but not the swooping and pecking). A friend swears that old CDs hung in fruit trees keep birds away. I can imagine you with CDs swinging from your helmet like oversize earrings.
© 2013 Created by Gus K.
