Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

I've heard that maggies can recognise individuals; if you live near a nesting tree and either feed them or are gentle with them the rest of the year, they know you're not a threat and won't swoop you in magpie season.

On the other hand, if you're a ten-year old on a BMX, someone just like you has probably been throwing sticks and stones at them all year, so you're a swooping priority.

Not sure where I picked this up... may or may not be reliable info.

bikepath - behind See place Curtin heading north west and Tharwa Dr 1km south of Lanyon Homestead entry heading north

Two to add:

• Angas St, Ainslie (between the Ainslie Football Club carpark and retirement village).
• On the Mt Ainslie firetrail (parallel to Duffy St), around the end of Foveaux St. [edit: this one]

Another one to watch for.

Corner of Canberra avenue and Newcastle st. Sits up in the pine trees and goes for riders along the stretch from the lights toward Whyalla St.

Woodcock Dr/Preddy Way - Gordon heading south

got hit on Drakeford Drive near Kambah.

Cheeky bird.

Helps cement my hate for Collingwood.

skull wrote:Helps cement my hate for Collingwood.

Yeah - it's much more pleasant when the Magpies sit out September.

Roundabout at the top of Mitchell. Bastard chased me for nearly a km at over 50kmh...

Ginninderra drive heading west away from Belconnen between Coulter drive and John Cleland crescent.

No contact, just a noisy beak.

mrgolf wrote:Roundabout at the top of Mitchell. Bastard chased me for nearly a km at over 50kmh...

Is that the roundabout at Wells Station Dr and Hoskins St? He's been there for a number of years and is quite persistant.

Yeah, thats the one. I had no problems from him last year. I guess I didnt ride that route in the afternoon.

Got swooped at the end of East Tallagandra (Mulligans Flat end) again. Chased me for 5-6 swoops at around 50kmh. I didnt know they could fly that fast.

Got five different Maggies attack me today.

Two near Issacs, one near SFP, one on Uriarra , another near Urriara village. I think me yelling out sucked in about losing to the Swans didn't go down well with them.

Gungahlin Dr (going both ways) near where it intersects Wells Station Rd Mitchell (may be the one Mr Golf was talking about)
Intersection of Moat St snd Barton Hwy Lyneham (there is a warning sign on the bike path coming from Gungahlin but not if you are on the road)
Norton Rd Wamboin

I had close encounters from the one on Uriarra road between the crossing and the homestead in the race of Sat., cheeky bugger landed on my back. But I could see his shadow, so made a good effort to head-butt him with the back of the helmet.


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There's one just the other side of Tharwa heading south
Another fairly agressive maggie further south after Fitz's hill, after the cattle grid in Namadgi NP

Found some more today (or rather, they found me !)
Cnr of Uriarra Rd and Brindabella Rd (at Urirra Homestead)
First and second sister coming up from Uriarra Crossing
Gungahlin Dr cnr Wells Station Dr near Mitchell - both sides of GD! Not sure if it's the same bird MrGolf was talking about in an earlier post?

Kowalski Classic had a persistent bird that swooped about half the riders, me included. In the Far East section.

Also, Hackett on Rivett St, two attacked my partner and I. It took me a second to decide to sit taller to try and get them to leave Dione alone. Before that, it was duck and cover.

Ross wrote:Found some more today (or rather, they found me !)
Cnr of Uriarra Rd and Brindabella Rd (at Urirra Homestead)
First and second sister coming up from Uriarra Crossing
Gungahlin Dr cnr Wells Station Dr near Mitchell - both sides of GD! Not sure if it's the same bird MrGolf was talking about in an earlier post?

Probably - but a serious tri rider from work reckons he rides the bike path along there and it never goes for him. Go figure...


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The Red Baron (Athlon Drv) had a go at one of the guys at work on Monday, scratches on neck, ear... and nose. Be warned, that bugger is not to be messed with this year, probably time for him to be "relocated" (to a hole in the ground, preferably).


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I was lucky enough to miss the Athllon Drive/Atkins Street one (Wanniassa) this morning. A faster dude had just caught me and it went for him time and again making some serious good contact. He was about 10 foot in front of me and it didn't come near me. Sometimes the karma gods are with me. Rarely, but even sometimes is better than nothing.

I went through that section at about 7am Saturday morning and maggie was nowhere to be seen.

I am now running a 100% ride to magpie stoke for the last 3 weeks.

At least 1 bird a ride. The best so far is 7 birds on 1 ride, that route went past the hell bird on uriarra road.

Now there is one nesting near my house, so as soon as I hit the end of the street I am under attack. That mongrel started a couple of days ago.

Sort of doing my head in as the 10 years I lived in tassie I only ever got swooped once.

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On my usual route they are now nowhere to be seen. I figured they'd gotten over their issues. The last time I got swooped I was listening to 'Aces High' by Iron Maiden... Quite funny I thought.

When do these buggers usually cease their airborne antics?

I rode 10kms from Watson to Mitchell and back again and was swooped 4 times. I even went around the block to avoid one that swooped me on the way there when I was riding home and got swooped by another. Nuts. Cant wait for the season to end.

DW260 wrote:When do these buggers usually cease their airborne antics?

About a week after everyone is certain they have stopped.

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