It's on Magpie season

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skull
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Re: It's on Magpie season

Postby skull » Thu Sep 26, 2013 9:17 am

One nested on the path near home. So as soon as I roll out of the garage it is one. I also encountered the mongrel on mt Ainsle. Motivation to pedal faster up the hill. Which is quite a feat for a fat boy.

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twizzle
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Re: It's on Magpie season

Postby twizzle » Thu Sep 26, 2013 9:38 am

skull wrote:One nested on the path near home. So as soon as I roll out of the garage it is one. I also encountered the mongrel on mt Ainsle. Motivation to pedal faster up the hill. Which is quite a feat for a fat boy.

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cp123
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Re: It's on Magpie season

Postby cp123 » Thu Sep 26, 2013 11:12 am

I knew I shouldn't have typed what i did yesterday. The god of magpies past present and future was out this morning.

Got clunked at the rdbt near St Anthony's school (Wheeler Cres and Fincham Street) and twice by the red baron.


Lobster - you obviously lurk in my neck of the woods. my joint reasonably close to forlonge street. :wink:

lobstermash
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Re: It's on Magpie season

Postby lobstermash » Thu Sep 26, 2013 11:22 am

Yep, I'm in police shooting court - I mean Riddell Court. Do you commute to the city? More importantly, do you have a retro bike to participate in Retro Ruesdays?
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TonyMax
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Re: It's on Magpie season

Postby TonyMax » Thu Sep 26, 2013 1:57 pm

TonyMax wrote:I now have some printed clip art eyes stuck to the back of my helmet, will report back if this works or not today. I have a mate with cable ties on his helmet who has been harassed in the last few days.
Well the results are in, and the stupid bird just north and west of the dam on Lake Tuggeranong was as persistent as I've seen him today. The printed eyes stuck onto the helmet aren't worth a pinch of the proverbial.

Perhaps I'll report old mate and get the family humanely moved on.
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cp123
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Re: It's on Magpie season

Postby cp123 » Thu Sep 26, 2013 2:01 pm

a mate of mine has foam balls on his helmet - you know the type - you can buy them in craft shops or lincraft or similar. he has them poked onto cable ties that are wound round the vents on his lid. They flop back and forth above his lid like the antennas on my favourite martian. he reckons they work fantastically and they swing around in the breeze.

i'm happy to take on the birds than to look like a total goob. :lol:


lobster - i have my old mixte at my mum's house. i bought that in the mid 1980s and its still going strong. :lol: would that qualify? yes i go into the city and back each day. you've possibly seen me - i'm an old fat duck on a blue bike with a blue lid with pink ayups on it. :lol:

have you ever noticed the junky truck house at the corner of bailes court i think it is? there's another hoarder house down on wheeler crescent opposite the kiddies park down near mckean place. Ahhh - such a noice place to live....

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Re: It's on Magpie season

Postby lobstermash » Thu Sep 26, 2013 2:34 pm

cp123 wrote:Ahhh - such a noice place to live....
That it is... Our good house-o neighbours (we're in the middle of two of them) have just moved out and we're dreading the day when they're replaced... The guys with the meth lab across the road do a roaring local trade.

The old mixte would certainly qualify! On non-Ruesdays I ride a Reid Falco, and am usually in a yellow t-shirt and a white helmet.
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mrgolf
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Re: It's on Magpie season

Postby mrgolf » Thu Sep 26, 2013 5:33 pm

There is a new one in Cook at the end of Templeton near Lyttleton. Only started swooping this week. My regular commute, and he got me twice this week. Pretty aggressive too.

Did 5 Ainslies on Wednesday. I got hit on even numbers only (2 and 4). Left me alone on 1, 3, 5. Decided to not do the 6th.
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Re: It's on Magpie season

Postby lobstermash » Thu Sep 26, 2013 6:25 pm

No swoops for me again this evening. Haven't seen the Red Baron since last week
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Ridecat
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Re: It's on Magpie season

Postby Ridecat » Fri Sep 27, 2013 5:29 pm

A new one for me this evening - Athlon drive bike track between Fincham and Drakeford, 4 or so swoops but no contact.

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HAKS
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Re: It's on Magpie season

Postby HAKS » Fri Sep 27, 2013 5:50 pm

There is a reason I avoid the Athlon drive path out/into Tuggers at this time of year.

I've been adding my hits on the google map posted earlier (http://goo.gl/maps/1VaO0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

My last one was on Longmore Cres Wanniassa just where the bike path crosses the road.
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Ridecat
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Re: It's on Magpie season

Postby Ridecat » Fri Sep 27, 2013 6:02 pm

This year on the Athlon bike path seems worse than last but I have got the message!

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twizzle
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Re: It's on Magpie season

Postby twizzle » Fri Sep 27, 2013 6:17 pm

According to jcjordan, TAMS has not received any complaints of people being blooded by the Red Baron this year. If he hits you, report it, otherwise we could be facing years of this crap! (20+ year life expectancy!)


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Ross
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Re: It's on Magpie season

Postby Ross » Mon Sep 30, 2013 7:18 pm

Ridecat wrote:A new one for me this evening - Athlon drive bike track between Fincham and Drakeford, 4 or so swoops but no contact.
I stay on the road there and haven't had the pleasure of meeting this character yet.

Found a new Magpie this morning just at the bottom of Fitz's (Canberra side). Not agressive, just a couple of swoops to let me know that I was in his territory.

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twizzle
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Re: It's on Magpie season

Postby twizzle » Mon Sep 30, 2013 7:26 pm

jcjordan found a new and aggressive one on Athlon just over the hill heading to Woden (on the road). Took the earpiece out of his ear!

I now have three regulars, but all non-contact birds. Last year I had no regulars - must be something in the water this year.

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HAKS
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Re: It's on Magpie season

Postby HAKS » Mon Sep 30, 2013 7:41 pm

twizzle wrote:jcjordan found a new and aggressive one on Athlon just over the hill heading to Woden (on the road). Took the earpiece out of his ear!

I now have three regulars, but all non-contact birds. Last year I had no regulars - must be something in the water this year.

Sent from my iThingy...
I had one try me a few weeks ago on Athlon (on road) heading towards Tuggers. Was between the last two bus stops before cresting the hill. I've marked it on the Google map linked earlier. Could be the same one?
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twizzle
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Re: It's on Magpie season

Postby twizzle » Mon Sep 30, 2013 9:39 pm

HAKS wrote: I had one try me a few weeks ago on Athlon (on road) heading towards Tuggers. Was between the last two bus stops before cresting the hill. I've marked it on the Google map linked earlier. Could be the same one?
Sounds like the same spot.

A year or so ago they publicised that they didn't think it was the testosterone making the bird aggressive, but stress hormones. The point they were making was that birds in high traffic areas are highly stressed and more aggressive. Which (generally) seems to fit when you consider where the really nasty birds are.

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TonyMax
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Re: It's on Magpie season

Postby TonyMax » Tue Oct 01, 2013 8:25 am

I got hit on Sunday out for a ride only a couple of blocks from my house in Casey, it was the first time one has actually made contact, just behind my left ear.

I have the tiniest little mark, I got off lightly.

I just put my foot (feet) down and got out of there as quick as I could.

Has anyone tried those things you put on the front of the car to shoo roos? Or do we not go quick enough to generate the noise and/or birds are impervious to it?

http://www.accessoriesonline.com.au/sho ... 480&page=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"At speeds over 50 kph, the repellers emit high frequency sound waves that warn animals away from oncoming vehicles" :(
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lobstermash
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Re: It's on Magpie season

Postby lobstermash » Tue Oct 01, 2013 8:40 am

Those things don't work on kangaroos or other wildlife, and I doubt they'd work on magpies.

Forlonge St maggie got me this morning - half a dozen swoops with a couple of helmet contacts. But in spite of his persistence, he didn't really seem into it... Only sitting a couple of metres back between dives.
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jcjordan
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Re: It's on Magpie season

Postby jcjordan » Tue Oct 01, 2013 9:32 am

Well the Red Baron has changed his mind about cyclists chasing being a non contact sport.

Going a bit slower this morning and he had a couple of solid hits.

Good news was the bird out at Tharwa was more interested in flying in side by side formation this morning.

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mrgolf
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Re: It's on Magpie season

Postby mrgolf » Tue Oct 01, 2013 5:45 pm

TonyMax wrote:
Has anyone tried those things you put on the front of the car to shoo roos? Or do we not go quick enough to generate the noise and/or birds are impervious to it?

http://www.accessoriesonline.com.au/sho ... 480&page=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"At speeds over 50 kph, the repellers emit high frequency sound waves that warn animals away from oncoming vehicles" :(
From reports I have heard, they are just as likely to spook wildlife into the path of your car. But their effectiveness against aggressive territorial magpies would be more than minimal, I would imagine. They would just alert them to your presence earlier and give them more time to prepare.
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skull
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Re: It's on Magpie season

Postby skull » Tue Oct 01, 2013 6:44 pm

I saw a maggie swoop a bike on the roof of a car.

So yeah pretty much hates bikes.

slau73
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Re: It's on Magpie season

Postby slau73 » Tue Oct 01, 2013 9:11 pm

A couple of weekends ago, I had a swooping magpie but I could swear it called off its attack in the last seconds. All I heard and felt was the flap and the wind from the wings ... no peck or even contact at all. I wondered if it had anything to do with the flashing red led of my helmet-mounted rear light!

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twizzle
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Re: It's on Magpie season

Postby twizzle » Tue Oct 01, 2013 10:10 pm

Birds actually hitting you is uncommon.


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visrealm
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Re: It's on Magpie season

Postby visrealm » Wed Oct 02, 2013 7:27 am

twizzle wrote:Birds actually hitting you is uncommon.
+1
I've been swooped hundreds of times. Only ever had one make contact.


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