Bloody Magpies

[kiwigeo]

No this isn't about that crappy footy team.

I am in training for the Great Victorian Bike Ride. (http://www.bv.com.au/inform.php?a=5&b=142&c=128)

Each lunch time I do a quick 20k ride. Along the path that I sometimes ride along a bloody magpie keeps swooping me. They sh!!t me. Just like the footy team.

Look at the postive side.....if you can outrun a swopping magpie then youve got fair chance of winning the Great Bike Ride...we could be looking at Australias answer to Lance Armstrong

[ozwinner]

we could be looking at Australias answer to Lance Armstrong

Or Grunt Legweak.

Al

[Grunt]

Or Grunt Legweak.

Al

They are after my 20k rides.

Look at the postive side.....if you can outrun a swopping magpie then youve got fair chance of winning the Great Bike Ride...we could be looking at Australias answer to Lance Armstrong

On the way out the Maggie is on a downhill stretch. On the way back it's uphill.

[doug the slug]

and here i was thinking magpies were soooooooooo far down the ladder that nobody was worried about them any more

[ozwinner]

Do you think a 12 gauge will slow you down any?
If not...........................

Al

[MajorPanic]

and here i was thinking magpies were soooooooooo far down the ladder that nobody was worried about them any more

Well, I'll introduce you to a former postie that now has only one eye due to a magpie attack.

[Landseka]

Here is one of 3 maggies that come visit us every couple days for a feed.

They really enjoy semi-matured cheese (in moderation) and give us beautiful songs as payment.

Good deal for us I reckon.

This one looks as though he has been on the recieving end of the tennis raquet or stick treatment, :eek: or more likely a cat or perhaps even he (she??) was a victim of our recent tornado that went through town.

[Zed]

landseka,

its a she and she looks like she's old. you can tell shes a she as if you look at the the nape behind the neck on a female its a dirty grey- if you look at a male its a brilliant white. easy. BTW - yours is a western white backed magpie. mine (In my previous post is a eastern black backed - also a male you can see the brilliant white on the back of his neck and the grub in his beak!

if your nice to her you'll probably be able to tame her where she'll land on your hand!

[Grunt]

Zed, your love for Magpies is as bad as Gumby's.


Actually, we've got quite a few magpies around our house and no india minor birds. Quite like them here. It's just that bastard that swoops me when I'm on the bike that annoys me.

[echnidna]

Landseka , Blue Wrens love cheese too.
Zed, thanks for the info about sexing the magpies

[Grunt]

Zed, thanks for the info about sexing the magpies

Apparently Zed can sex quite a few animals.

[RETIRED]

Oh Dear.

[RufflyRustic]

When we moved into our house about 3 years ago, we had myriads of mynahs, a few peewees and the crows, currawongs and magpies were about 4 blocks away. The mynahs even visited us inside the house a few times - via the chimney!!!! until Mum Mynah finally taught the Mynah Junior that getting covered in ash was a bad idea.

Now, 3 years later, we have currawongs, crows, maybe a couple of peewees, magpies and mynahs.

At least the mynahs don't visit anymore....

cheers
RufflyRustic

[Andy Mac]

[QUOTE=craigb]Maggies are good. Way better than Currawongs.

In Toowoomba the currawong population is a bit out of control, seasonal though, and I agreed with your sentiments Craig. Aggressive, noisy and eating chicks of other birds, but then I read that they are specialist predators on stick insects! Apparently stick insects, which seem harmless enough, can reach plague proportions. They have a voracious appetite for Eucalypt leaves, and can strip and damage trees, so currawongs balance this out.
BTW, we have a family of magpies at home, and even though they come quite close in the garden they leave us alone, with no swooping so far. I tend to move slowly, and try to whistle at them...a small attempt to show I'm not a risk to them.
Cheers,

[MurrayD99]

Give them a feed. Dog sausage will make them friendly and full of fun.