Still Waters Posted September 29, 2023 #1 Share Posted September 29, 2023 Don't run. Travel in groups. Carry an umbrella and wear sunglasses on the back of your head. These are some of the ominous warnings issued in Australia each spring, as magpies and humans begin their annual turf war. Streets and parks become a battleground, as the birds - descending from above and attacking from behind - swoop down on anything they fear poses a threat to their offspring. High up in their nests, they rule over their kingdom with an iron claw, while on the ground, humans dust off their protective hats - traditionally a plastic ice-cream container - and duck for cover. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-66920781 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waspie_Dwarf Posted September 29, 2023 #2 Share Posted September 29, 2023 Is there anything in Australia that doesn't want to kill you? 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowsfall Posted September 30, 2023 #3 Share Posted September 30, 2023 The rainbow lorikeets don’t…nosy things but beautiful birds…. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waspie_Dwarf Posted September 30, 2023 #4 Share Posted September 30, 2023 10 hours ago, Shadowsfall said: The rainbow lorikeets don’t…nosy things but beautiful birds…. They are slowly, and methodically, planning the annihilation of the human species, mark my words. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piney Posted October 1, 2023 #5 Share Posted October 1, 2023 11 hours ago, Waspie_Dwarf said: They are slowly, and methodically, planning the annihilation of the human species, mark my words. Your thinking of cats. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waspie_Dwarf Posted October 1, 2023 #6 Share Posted October 1, 2023 18 hours ago, Piney said: Your thinking of cats. Sadly, in Australia, humans are planning the annihilation cats... the feral ones at least. I love cats but they are devastating the wildlife down under. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piney Posted October 1, 2023 #7 Share Posted October 1, 2023 1 hour ago, Waspie_Dwarf said: Sadly, in Australia, humans are planning the annihilation cats... the feral ones at least. I love cats but they are devastating the wildlife down under. The saddest part about that is it's because of human irresponsibility. We capture members of feral colonies in the forests here. Spay ot neuter them and release them back. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waspie_Dwarf Posted October 1, 2023 #8 Share Posted October 1, 2023 1 hour ago, Piney said: The saddest part about that is it's because of human irresponsibility. We capture members of feral colonies in the forests here. Spay ot neuter them and release them back. Releasing them back won't really help the problem in Australia, not in the short term anyway. With no native cats in Australia the wild life has not evolved to recognise them as a threat. Each feral cat kills around 740 native animals a year and there are 6.3 million feral cats. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowsfall Posted October 15, 2023 #9 Share Posted October 15, 2023 On 9/30/2023 at 5:04 AM, Waspie_Dwarf said: Is there anything in Australia that doesn't want to kill you? Even the kangaroos have a go… 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
openozy Posted October 16, 2023 #10 Share Posted October 16, 2023 4 hours ago, Shadowsfall said: Even the kangaroos have a go… Had that happen a few times hunting rabbits with the whippets, roos trying to drown the dogs. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowsfall Posted October 16, 2023 #11 Share Posted October 16, 2023 2 hours ago, openozy said: Had that happen a few times hunting rabbits with the whippets, roos trying to drown the dogs. They afraid of the dogs ….what’s their angle with this behaviour… 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
openozy Posted October 16, 2023 #12 Share Posted October 16, 2023 9 minutes ago, Shadowsfall said: They afraid of the dogs ….what’s their angle with this behaviour… Some ancient defence mechanism I think. When they hunted roos with roo dogs in the old days there are reports of up to a dozen dogs being drowned one after the other. The big roos are tall enough to stand where the dogs are swimming to them and the roos hold the dogs head under. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowsfall Posted October 16, 2023 #13 Share Posted October 16, 2023 1 minute ago, openozy said: Some ancient defence mechanism I think. When they hunted roos with roo dogs in the old days there are reports of up to a dozen dogs being drowned one after the other. The big roos are tall enough to stand where the dogs are swimming to them and the roos hold the dogs head under. Too true wouldn’t want to try and tackle those big Roos I know who would come of worse in that encounter… 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
openozy Posted October 16, 2023 #14 Share Posted October 16, 2023 1 minute ago, Shadowsfall said: Too true wouldn’t want to try and tackle those big Roos I know who would come of worse in that encounter… I got attacked by a big roo when ferreting and my little whippet/staghound cross saved me by pinning it by the throat, she got many stitches from that encounter. She also saved me getting bitten by a 6ft Eastern Brown snake. She was a top mate and she passed just this year. I got her cremated and when I go my daughter will scatter our ashes in the hills we hunted together. She is the blue dog here, Shady. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowsfall Posted October 16, 2023 #15 Share Posted October 16, 2023 Dogs have the greatest loyalty and devotion of any animal and it’s only right that we reciprocate……it will be a fitting reunion for the pair of you….😉 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psyche101 Posted October 16, 2023 #16 Share Posted October 16, 2023 On 9/30/2023 at 5:04 AM, Waspie_Dwarf said: Is there anything in Australia that doesn't want to kill you? I don't think so...... Yeah nah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psyche101 Posted October 16, 2023 #17 Share Posted October 16, 2023 (edited) I feed Maggie's all year round. They don't seem to bother me this time is year. They bring the young ones over when they can fly. Plovers, Pee-wee's, heaps of swooping birds. More than Maggie's. Edited October 16, 2023 by psyche101 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrLzs Posted October 16, 2023 #18 Share Posted October 16, 2023 Just swoopin' by. Howya doing psyche, long time no see! I feed the maggies too, and they love me. Have only been seriously swooped a couple of times in my younger days before I learnt the secret.. It is a little scary, but usually no blood lost. However, there was that tragedy a few years back where a mother carrying a baby tripped and fell while being swooped... Not all magpies swoop, it's just a few who probably had a bad incident with some idiot hooman. Seriously, just give them an occasional treat, and they'll tell their local friends.. And if you get swooped, turn towards them, keep your eyes on them and wave your arms .. while leaving the danger area. Note that I buy a mixture of proper food from a pet shop for them, and I don't feed them often. See yaz in another year or so..... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golden Duck Posted October 16, 2023 #19 Share Posted October 16, 2023 1 hour ago, psyche101 said: I feed Maggie's all year round. They don't seem to bother me this time is year. They bring the young ones over when they can fly. Plovers, Pee-wee's, heaps of swooping birds. More than Maggie's. Noisy miners are so annoying, and they swarm. Hitchcock must've encountered them. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psyche101 Posted October 16, 2023 #20 Share Posted October 16, 2023 1 hour ago, ChrLzs said: Just swoopin' by. Howya doing psyche, long time no see! I feed the maggies too, and they love me. Have only been seriously swooped a couple of times in my younger days before I learnt the secret.. It is a little scary, but usually no blood lost. However, there was that tragedy a few years back where a mother carrying a baby tripped and fell while being swooped... Not all magpies swoop, it's just a few who probably had a bad incident with some idiot hooman. Seriously, just give them an occasional treat, and they'll tell their local friends.. And if you get swooped, turn towards them, keep your eyes on them and wave your arms .. while leaving the danger area. Note that I buy a mixture of proper food from a pet shop for them, and I don't feed them often. See yaz in another year or so..... Great to see you Chrlz. Hope all has been well with you. We get the pet shop stuff but they get leftovers as well. They are really cool, they catch the food as you throw it in the air. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psyche101 Posted October 16, 2023 #21 Share Posted October 16, 2023 Typical afternoon where I live 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psyche101 Posted October 16, 2023 #22 Share Posted October 16, 2023 38 minutes ago, Golden Duck said: Noisy miners are so annoying, and they swarm. Hitchcock must've encountered them. They are indeed. We get them too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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