The magpies seemed to be quite friendly today, except for one in our street which swooped me twice. This is the first time this season that I've been attacked by a maggie- normally the aerial attacks start at the beginning of August.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Today's Photo
Today's walk was well overdue after a few days of wet weather and frantic activity.
The magpies seemed to be quite friendly today, except for one in our street which swooped me twice. This is the first time this season that I've been attacked by a maggie- normally the aerial attacks start at the beginning of August.
The magpies seemed to be quite friendly today, except for one in our street which swooped me twice. This is the first time this season that I've been attacked by a maggie- normally the aerial attacks start at the beginning of August.
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You have some very interesting birds!! I've seen a bird chase a cat, probably the cat was a little too close to the nest, but I've never seen them attack a human before!
ReplyDeleteMagpies are notoriously aggressive in breeding season. The males will attack anything that intrudes their territory. For the other nine months of the year they are almost friendly towards people. The experts say that the birds' testicles swell to up to thirty times the normal size so they might just be grumpy from the discomfort :)It is not all males though. They are very intelligent birds. If an individual has had bad experiences of people in the past they are more likely to be aggressive. Also, they seem to be able to recognise different people- for a few years we had a bird further up the street that was quite aggressive to most people, but it left me alone :)Most of the time the attack is harmless, although startling. They swoop from behind and make a clicking noise with their beak just above and behind you. Sometimes they will peck a person's head, drawing blood. That's no fun. :(A few years ago, joggers in Sydney were being attacked in one particular inner city street. The good news is that it only lasts a few months of the year, and you get to know where the danger areas are. If you maintain eye contact they will not attack (usually) as they like to swoop from the rear. Also if you are nice to them and don't retaliate, and if you are kind the rest of the year they are much friendlier.The month or so before breeding season is very eerie. They often stand on the ground and don't move as you approach. They stare at you and almost dare you to take another step. They don't attack at that stage but it's a little Alfred Hitchcocky!
ReplyDeleteWOW!! What interesting birds! I can imagine how disconcerting it would be to have them just stare at you! Creepy!
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