Magpies v Cyclists - 2013 season

Andrew09
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Re: Magpies v Cyclists - 2013 season

Postby Andrew09 » Tue Sep 10, 2013 3:54 pm

biker jk wrote:
Shred931 wrote:
biker jk wrote:Magpie Alert on the M7 path! I was swooped twice but not attacked. It happened near the Eastern Creek Waste Management Centre, heading south. After the first swoop I stopped and turned around and the magpie flew to a tree branch around 30 metres away. When I started off again it swooped a second time. So it's not very aggressive. On the return leg I didn't see it at all.
I was attacked by this fella on Sunday. He got me with a really hard hit that jolted my head forward. It was flying around on the return trip but my extended arm kept him at bay. Evil, souless creatures.
It got me as well on Sunday on the return leg heading north. Helmet strike but no damage to it or me. So clearly this maggie has turned from swooping to attacking. It did encourage some fast peddling on my part (I passed my riding buddy and when I looked back he was 500m behind). :D

Ah yes the M7 maggie. Got me twice last Thursday , once on the way out (north) and once on the way back (heading south). First time round it took a small chunk out of the protective foam on my helmet just above my right ear. On the way back I swung a plastic bag with my banana in it above my head and that kept it to within a couple of metres of my head. Hard to swing and pedal at the same time. The went for a run on Saturday morning and got swooped by a maggie in Speed st Liverpool. Didn't see that one coming! It could have been the same one , they all look the same to me.

bvella
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Re: Magpies v Cyclists - 2013 season

Postby bvella » Tue Sep 10, 2013 11:57 pm

Magpies near McDonalds at McGraths Hill which is well known, but know there is one near the top of the hill at the Rouse Hill Town Centre. Bloody aggressive too, will happily go at you when travelling in both directions.

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Re: Magpies v Cyclists - 2013 season

Postby Boognoss » Wed Sep 11, 2013 9:40 am

While I've avoided it this season so far and will continue to do so, I have confirmation that the North Ryde Ryrie St magpie is alive and bombing. Thanks to a Strava comment from a follower who commented that he was impressed I was avoiding Ryrie St.
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Re: Magpies v Cyclists - 2013 season

Postby Dave_C » Thu Sep 12, 2013 12:40 pm

Got this reply from Hawksbury Council today = I Hope we get a results
Thank you for your email regarding the magpie at the intersection of Groves Avenue and Windsor Road. Staff have put up signage as you have identified and have also applied to National Parks and Wildlife Services to have the bird destroyed. We are awaiting a reply. Unfortunately magpies cannot be relocated.

Regards, ...
It was signed but i left the name off so not to have privacy issues
Dave

ab012
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Re: Magpies v Cyclists - 2013 season

Postby ab012 » Fri Sep 13, 2013 1:36 pm

g-boaf wrote:The magpie between the viaduct and Gipps Road on the Canal cycleway is being a pest again.

Two warning swoops on me today - my first for the season. Apologies to the pedestrians going the opposite direction who seemed scared by my 45km/h escape attempt.

That's it - I'm riding only at night now. :lol: Just leave me alone and let me ride in peace.
Had two different ones swoop me along the canal cycleway yesterday. Made me ride with my neck all crunched up (in a probably useless attempt to protect my neck from them) all the way 8) Nice sprint practice though :lol:

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g-boaf
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Re: Magpies v Cyclists - 2013 season

Postby g-boaf » Fri Sep 13, 2013 2:42 pm

ab012 wrote:
g-boaf wrote:The magpie between the viaduct and Gipps Road on the Canal cycleway is being a pest again.

Two warning swoops on me today - my first for the season. Apologies to the pedestrians going the opposite direction who seemed scared by my 45km/h escape attempt.

That's it - I'm riding only at night now. :lol: Just leave me alone and let me ride in peace.
Had two different ones swoop me along the canal cycleway yesterday. Made me ride with my neck all crunched up (in a probably useless attempt to protect my neck from them) all the way 8) Nice sprint practice though :lol:
Where were they? I know of one that I mentioned, but another one?? :cry:

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g-boaf
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Re: Magpies v Cyclists - 2013 season

Postby g-boaf » Sat Sep 14, 2013 3:11 pm

ab012 wrote:
g-boaf wrote:The magpie between the viaduct and Gipps Road on the Canal cycleway is being a pest again.

Two warning swoops on me today - my first for the season. Apologies to the pedestrians going the opposite direction who seemed scared by my 45km/h escape attempt.

That's it - I'm riding only at night now. :lol: Just leave me alone and let me ride in peace.
Had two different ones swoop me along the canal cycleway yesterday. Made me ride with my neck all crunched up (in a probably useless attempt to protect my neck from them) all the way 8) Nice sprint practice though :lol:
Try riding through there without your helmet on. Hang it on the handlebar and just take it slowly. It seems to leave walkers alone, only bothers cyclists.

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Re: Magpies v Cyclists - 2013 season

Postby ab012 » Sat Sep 14, 2013 11:39 pm

g-boaf wrote:
ab012 wrote:
g-boaf wrote:The magpie between the viaduct and Gipps Road on the Canal cycleway is being a pest again.

Two warning swoops on me today - my first for the season. Apologies to the pedestrians going the opposite direction who seemed scared by my 45km/h escape attempt.

That's it - I'm riding only at night now. :lol: Just leave me alone and let me ride in peace.
Had two different ones swoop me along the canal cycleway yesterday. Made me ride with my neck all crunched up (in a probably useless attempt to protect my neck from them) all the way 8) Nice sprint practice though :lol:
Where were they? I know of one that I mentioned, but another one?? :cry:
Sorry didnt keep track of the exact location - it was a just a little further east of the original one near the viaduct from memory.

Will see if i get swooped tomorrow and let you know :evil:

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Re: Magpies v Cyclists - 2013 season

Postby vosadrian » Fri Sep 20, 2013 1:45 pm

A friend sent me this video he found on youtube of the Maccas Maggie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ahW9308f7A" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Re: Magpies v Cyclists - 2013 season

Postby Webby84 » Fri Sep 20, 2013 2:39 pm

vosadrian wrote:A friend sent me this video he found on youtube of the Maccas Maggie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ahW9308f7A" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Haha that video is a classic. Encountered this beast of a maggie riding with a mate last weekend.
We were mid convo flapping on about ‘how bad could it honestly be’ when it kamikaze bombed us and proceeded to put on a chase for 300m. My mate ended up with a butchered ear and bleeding hand. Rookie error. Don’t under estimate this bad boy!

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Re: Magpies v Cyclists - 2013 season

Postby g-boaf » Fri Sep 20, 2013 2:53 pm

vosadrian wrote:A friend sent me this video he found on youtube of the Maccas Maggie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ahW9308f7A" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Time to get a TT helmet that covers your ears and has a nice sharp, pointy end, perfect for that evil magpie to crash into.

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Re: Magpies v Cyclists - 2013 season

Postby ab012 » Fri Sep 20, 2013 3:48 pm

Something (i am not sure its a magpie actually, but some bird...) have tapped me on the helmet on two separate mornings at bicentennial park now... (not got me in afternoons or nights though)..

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Re: Magpies v Cyclists - 2013 season

Postby Spaniel » Fri Sep 20, 2013 4:33 pm

vosadrian wrote:A friend sent me this video he found on youtube of the Maccas Maggie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ahW9308f7A" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Hope the guy in the video got a tetanus shot afterwards. I recall reading somewhere once that one of the two recorded deaths from a magpie attack - a small boy - was from tetanus.

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Re: Magpies v Cyclists - 2013 season

Postby pakula » Fri Sep 20, 2013 8:10 pm

I was hit today going up Pidding rd at Ryde. I've done this route 3 times this week and the first two he just swooped, today he cut my ear. He drew first blood.

Downhill isn't a problem as I'm doing 45-50kph, up is more like 15, so he has a chance of getting me a couple of times, after the first hit, I was waving my arms which did stop him from getting closer.

May try the eyes on the helmet, but I reckon I'll just take a different route.

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Re: Magpies v Cyclists - 2013 season

Postby ColinOldnCranky » Fri Sep 20, 2013 9:32 pm

On Tuesday (I think) I got challenged by a tiny duck near the Narrows. The little turd broke away form a group of, say, a dozen and came running at an intersecting line snapping and bluffing. My main concern wa if the bugger got close enough to wear my foot on the pedals or go under the wheel.

You gets lots more interesting stuff when riding than when motoring. :D
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Re: Magpies v Cyclists - 2013 season

Postby redcorpsjames » Fri Sep 20, 2013 10:04 pm

I am familiar with the greystanes canal magpie. One of the most agressive out there along with the m7 magpie. Today I encountered another silent killer in parramatta stadium car park. Im sick of these little guys. Do the cable ties actually work? I have big eyes on my helmet at the moment, but they dont seem to be working. I think it likes going for the fake eyes . . .
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Re: Magpies v Cyclists - 2013 season

Postby JLT » Fri Sep 20, 2013 11:11 pm

an aggressive magpie hit me coming off the cycle path on Rhodes bridge (north side). He continued to smash me 6-8 times through two roundabouts. It is a high traffic area, so was shocked to hear that beak snapping sound...he smacked the helmet so many times...will need to contact the council!

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Re: Magpies v Cyclists - 2013 season

Postby g-boaf » Fri Sep 20, 2013 11:21 pm

Re: Greystanes one - Just look at him before he attacks (if he is coming towards you) and yell really loudly. Seems to help.

Don't try outrunning him - the thing keeps up with me at 50+km/h. (Sorry pedestrians). Good sprint practice.

So far this year he seems less aggressive than last. Still silent though. Makes his attack by stealth until you hear the whoosh of the wings. He was out the other evening too, but was occupied with fighting another magpie. 8) :D

Re: above contact the council and tell them to make an application to the NPWS if it gets too psychotic.

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Re: Magpies v Cyclists - 2013 season

Postby TTar » Sat Sep 21, 2013 9:21 am

g-boaf wrote: He was out the other evening too, but was occupied with fighting another magpie. 8) :D

.

Turning them against each other might be the only solution.

Heard someone on the radio say that maggies specialise; some will target cyclists, others will target peds or posties etc and most frightening of all, they recognise individual humans! :shock: :o :shock:

http://blogs.abc.net.au/nsw/2013/09/its ... =702_drive

We're up against an organised, battle-hardened and remorseless foe. Apparently eyes on the back of the helmet or other psychological warfare tactics don't work. We are in their territory and they may have a personal vendetta against you! :evil:

In other words, we're stuffed...
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Re: Magpies v Cyclists - 2013 season

Postby g-boaf » Sat Sep 21, 2013 8:51 pm

TTar wrote:
g-boaf wrote: He was out the other evening too, but was occupied with fighting another magpie. 8) :D

.

Turning them against each other might be the only solution.

Heard someone on the radio say that maggies specialise; some will target cyclists, others will target peds or posties etc and most frightening of all, they recognise individual humans! :shock: :o :shock:

http://blogs.abc.net.au/nsw/2013/09/its ... =702_drive

We're up against an organised, battle-hardened and remorseless foe. Apparently eyes on the back of the helmet or other psychological warfare tactics don't work. We are in their territory and they may have a personal vendetta against you! :evil:

In other words, we're stuffed...
What we need is the help of Q branch and a few gadgets. :lol:

I had a lovely magpie free ride this afternoon, by going out as the sun was setting. Got lucky through the canal, the black and white terrorist wasn't there today. And the rest of the way was peaceful. 8)

Masgpies and crows in particular are incredibly smart birds.

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Re: Magpies v Cyclists - 2013 season

Postby wombatK » Sat Sep 21, 2013 9:45 pm

g-boaf wrote: What we need is the help of Q branch and a few gadgets. :lol:
No need for Q branch - a shot-gun makes an excellent magpie relocation gadget and
was commonly used to protect golfers in the bad old days 'pies weren't a protected
species.

Only every used for the recalcitrant few who mistake unarmed humans as threats to their territory,
of course.

FWIW, in the last week, the Canal Cycleway maggie only made a half-hearted attack
on me (no cable ties or other defences, no blood drawn etc.,), and the Rhodes maggie let
me pass 4 times without taking a swoop. Although by then, I'd deployed some
cable defence.

There's another one patrolling the Parramatta River cycleway a
long Waratah St Melrose Park that's been swooping
for a couple of weeks, cable ties kept him from hitting my helmet. He also seems
disinterested if you ride up the car park rather than the cycleway route.

Have probably passed another 20 or so magpies that weren't the slightest interested in
swooping. The swoopers are thankfully a minority.

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Re: Magpies v Cyclists - 2013 season

Postby moya » Sat Sep 21, 2013 10:04 pm

Where exactly is the Rhodes magpie, so I can avoid it? :)

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Re: Magpies v Cyclists - 2013 season

Postby ab012 » Sat Sep 21, 2013 10:54 pm

moya wrote:Where exactly is the Rhodes magpie, so I can avoid it? :)
I want to know too...! been lucky so far have not been attacked along that stretch (ditto re the Melrose park one) although i hope I have not just jinxed myself.... :oops: as this is a regular route for me..

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Re: Magpies v Cyclists - 2013 season

Postby bvella » Sat Sep 21, 2013 11:14 pm

vosadrian wrote:A friend sent me this video he found on youtube of the Maccas Maggie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ahW9308f7A" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Considering l live about 2 minutes from that pest, think l will cut through the back of smelly Mulgrave. Don't really want to get hit by that bloody thing.

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Re: Magpies v Cyclists - 2013 season

Postby JLT » Sun Sep 22, 2013 10:47 pm

The Rhodes Bridge magpie is just as you come off the path heading towards the roundabout...pure stealth...comes out of nowhere. He tagged my mate this morning, but a lot less than he gave me the other day.

There is also another one on the Silverwater bridge, northern side on the west side. He snaps a couple of times, but nothing more than 50 metres.

Mr Rhodes followed me for 150m plus.

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