Cycling in Melbourne Australia
It's Official: Magpie Season
Warning! Warning! Danger! Danger!September 1: From today don't go riding without a badminton racquet, squash racquet, or grapeshot.
Failing that, just go the long zip ties on your helmet or seriously consider changing your cycling route, as the birdys are just trying to protect their nests. And overdoing it a tad. Which we now realise ...
DSE: Swoop!
DSE warns cyclists and pedestrians about spring swooping season
Cyclists and pedestrians, you have been warned – with spring comes bird swooping season.
The Department of Sustainability and Environment says people should watch out for native birds that swoop to defend their nests and young.
The DSE said people should be tolerant in spring of magpies, butcherbirds and plovers that swoop in our parks, streets, bike paths, and school grounds.
DSE Senior Biodiversity Officer Glenn Sharp said most birds are content to watch passers-by warily from their nests, but a small percentage can get too close for comfort with people as they vigorously defended their young.
“This time of year we are reminded that we share our neighbourhoods with wildlife, and these birds are just making sure that we don’t disturb their eggs and nestlings,” Mr Sharp said.
As part of its annual swoop campaign, the DSE are issuing stickers with menacing eyes on them to discourage birds from swooping.
They should be placed on your hat or helme.
The DSE customer service centre received 650 calls statewide about swooping birds from July to December last spring, with most calls in September.
About 400 of the callers were from Melbourne, seeking basic advice and information.
“Most people are happy to take some simple measures to avoid being swooped, and the most effective of these is to avoid the area for a few months,” Mr Sharp said.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Stavros on -
Yeeeeeeooooooow! I hate this time of year and these little black and white bastards. It happened to me on thursday. Rattling down a particularly busy stretch of Nepean Highway, minding my own business then "wooooosssshkaaa". 3 lanes of traffic travelling at 80km an hour and little old me at a fair clip of around 38km/h and this bloody magpie comes down and scares the living pedals out of me.
Has anybody ever written the thesis - "Style over function and why Cable ties just work during nesting season"?
Apart from the utility cyclists and some commuters, who actually has the space to carry a cricket bat? The lycra clad weight weenies, could perhaps blast these noxious, duco ruining animals out of the sky with a quick, well aimed shot from a C02 cylinder. There has to be a way to combat them "in the trenches".
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Permalink Reply by Cory on -
Is that aiming into the Southern Stand? I reckon he needs to aim a little lower.
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Permalink Reply by vx255 on -
Amen Oz.
I notice some reds on the ground, reloads? the 28g ones I have are all blue
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Permalink Reply by Oz on -
From memory I think I used all 32g cartridges that day.
Probably only a psychological advantage but it did the trick...managed to win a shoot-off for 2nd place in B grade
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Permalink Reply by ChrisS on -
Watch out folks - Skip's gone feral!
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Permalink Reply by Stephen on -
Do cable ties in sticking out from the helmet actually reduce the swooping, or just prevent the clawing of the helment?
I notice I get swooped more when I wear a red top...
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Permalink Reply by Kris on -
Well Stephen, I find cable ties on the helmets of other riders forwarn me of potential swoopings on certain roads. I then spend more time looking up.
I was hit three weeks ago and the little b@stard drew blood behind my left ear! (I was wearing a white helmet and red jacket). I've since mastered the technique of riding with weight off the handlebars ready to grab them in mid swoop. Did hit one with my left hand but failed to get hold of it. He gave up on the swooping after that.
There was one maggie that's given literally everyone riding along Fellows Road (Point Lonsdale) real grief for several years of nesting season... then all of a sudden, two weeks ago he completely dissappeared. Hmmm.
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Permalink Reply by Jack on -
Not sure about the cable ties but I am going to test out a pair of eyes on the rear of the helmet!
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Eyes.jpg, 30 KB
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Permalink Reply by ChrisS on
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The little effers are still creating mayhem even at this late stage, and the buggers have even managed to gain a claw hold into the h*lm*t debate. Effers!
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Paramedics treat man after magpie swoops
Ambulance Victoria paramedics have treated a cyclist who fell from his bike when he was attacked by a magpie at Blackburn yesterday.
Intensive care paramedics from Box Hill and advanced life support paramedics from Kew were called to Laburnum Street to treat the 47-year-old man, who was not wearing a bike helmet.
Intensive care paramedic Bernie Rieniets says they arrived within six minutes.
"The man was cycling when he was attacked by a swooping magpie,' he said.
"He came off his bike and landed on the road, suffering head injuries, a broken wrist, a possible broken jaw, and cuts and bruising.
"We were concerned about the potential for spinal injuries, so we put a neck brace on him, and put a splint on his wrist.
"A drip was put in his arm, and he was given some fluids to stabilise his blood pressure, and offered him some pain relief.
"He was unlucky that the magpie swooped, but given he wasn't wearing a bike helmet, he is probably lucky he wasn't more seriously injured.
"The man has been transported to Royal Melbourne Hospital in a stable condition.'
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