Is there anything you can do to prevent getting.....

[Isandula]

Breeding season, ie spring/summer is when they swoop, so try to avoid going near there nest as much as possible. In saying that, its kinda hard when the young maggies are learning to fly cause they will travel around a bit. I haven't had problems with the Magpies at home they're generally passive (in the country that is), though the ones near built up areas or generally where more people are, tend to be more aggressive, could be that they are used to people more, not quite sure.
My dad used to wear ice cream containers back when he went to school, cant really see many wearing them today though
All in all they can get quite aggressive and tend to go for the eyes, they can actually blind you so beware. Also while its breeding season, keep clear of Black Swans, they can be particularly nasty, they will try and attack you by beating you with there wings. They have hard bony joints that have been known to break adult arms or childs legs, so damn keep clear!

 

[yeah_nah]

One time I got swooped and i had my bodyboard with me, i just swung that at them, the guys doing some work on the house across the road lost it laughing and said that I was the 3rd person they'd seen get swooped that day. The other time I had a hat on and took it off and swung it at them lol, then i stopped walking under that tree and i havent got swooped since.
but I always keep an eye on them and they just seem to sit there in preparation.
stopped swooping after spring is over and if I get the chance I will kill them.

 

[Tormented Tiger]

Put on your cricket helmet, grab your bat and start to practise.

Remember to keep your eye on the target and hold your ground.

 

[LIONS then DAYLIGHT]

What time of the year do they stop swooping?

I read some where that each magpie would only swoop for about 6 weeks, so if a magpie in your area has been swooping since early october i guess it would be safe now or at least in a week or 2.

 

[lachlan24]

I got swooped once while riding my bike.
Magpie couldn't really swoop properly coz i was going pretty fast. I headbutted it, and it pissed off.

Waving a stick always works for me. Have a swing if they start coming.

 

[LIONS then DAYLIGHT]

Yeah, i've seen heaps of guys wave their hands in the air when being swooped by magpies or pluvers and the birds seem to bail out pretty quick when that happens.

BEst thing to do is keep your eye on them if you are lucky enough to see them before they swoop you.

2 reasons, some 'pies wont swoop if your watching them and secondly, if they do swoop you can just sway or duck.

 

[Killer eagle]

You need to get yourself one of these.

They do an awesome job at kicking magpie arse!

 

[And_ROOS]

waving a stick is like the first thing I do...no wonder the bastards keep coming back for more.

Replace the word stick with cricket bat, and the keep with stopped and you have my solution to both swooping problems and how i practice away from the nets

 

[Norfolk & Clew]

Pluvvers i find are worse!!

They nest behind my parents house, when i was younger when ever we went out the back or front yards they'd swoop us.

My brother and I decided to get up on the roof and throw crap at them, we were armed with cricket helmets, i had a broom and he has a cricket bat. Most fun i have ever had! My brother nearly fell off the roof, glad he didn't but boy did that make me laugh!

Just show the birds who is boss!

 

[Dont be a lemon]

Wear this and watch as the magpies run off like little girls

 

[And_ROOS]

They said they want to avoid magpies, Captain Archer, not get bent over and reamed every 2nd week.

 

[Shell]

Yeh I got swooped for the first time this year yesterday. I say it's nothing that a rifle and a good aim can't fix.

Lol, I agree. Birds in general are scary, not just magpies either.

Once when I was in the States working at a summer camp, there was this horrid feral black bird. Anyway, I went to take my washing to the laundry room one morning and this bird starts swooping me... again and again.. I just ran, got inside the laundry finally. I turn around and the bird was like pecking at the door (it was a glass door), and squawking at me. I shit you not.. if it had gotten inside the laundry as well, there is no doubt I'm sure the dam thing woulda killed me.

Kill all the birds I say.

 

[Isandula]

Lol, I agree. Birds in general are scary, not just magpies either.

Once when I was in the States working at a summer camp, there was this horrid feral black bird. Anyway, I went to take my washing to the laundry room one morning and this bird starts swooping me... again and again.. I just ran, got inside the laundry finally. I turn around and the bird was like pecking at the door (it was a glass door), and squawking at me. I shit you not.. if it had gotten inside the laundry as well, there is no doubt I'm sure the dam thing woulda killed me.

Kill all the birds I say.

NO!!! How dare you even think of it, those poor birdy's . Just how can you be scared of birds??

Bty thats funny what that feral black bird did! See birds are generally going to go after you if you wont them killed

 

[Shell]

Okay, okay, okay, dont kill all the birds.

I actually went to Healsville Sanctuary today and saw the Birds of Prey. Pretty awesome demo.

 

[superfraser]

most guys have problems attracting birds mate...
you're doing well.

 

[LIONS then DAYLIGHT]

Had to go into town today, and while i was waiting in the car for my brother i noticed a magpie swooping a bike rider, the guy was as cool as **** though, didnt even blink, some more people went past, some in a group and some just on their own and they didn't get swooped, then an old lady got swooped, she had a good technique of waving her hat above her head and the magpie stopped straight away, strange, some people get swooped and others don't?

 

[NitroFan]

Had to go into town today, and while i was waiting in the car for my brother i noticed a magpie swooping a bike rider, the guy was as cool as **** though, didnt even blink, some more people went past, some in a group and some just on their own and they didn't get swooped, then an old lady got swooped, she had a good technique of waving her hat above her head and the magpie stopped straight away, strange, some people get swooped and others don't?

I've noticed that as well.

A few years back me and a mate used to do a fair bit of bike riding, and there were two magpies on two separate streets that would always swoop me and me only. I never even saw them swoop any other person walking on the streets.

 

[krisholio14]

A half a house brick in their general direction soon solves the problem, especially if you hit one