Magpie Alert!

Can I just tell you I thought Hitchcock's, "The Birds" was comletely fictional and horrific!!! Who ever thought that birds would really have the nerve to attack you??? I prayed they wouldn't, but here in Australia the nightmare is real. Yes, magpies attack and it's for real...
OK, I'm exagerating just a bit but it is true that you get swooped here by "the birds" and they are scary. All of my house mates have been attacked and I watched it happen jsut yesterday. I cut and pasted this off a web site today:

The experience of a magpie attack can be quite alarming, but it is usually only a warning. Only occasionally will a bird actually strike the intruder on the head with its beak or claws. If this unusual behaviour persists, there are ways of reducing the risk of physical injury to humans.

If a magpie swoops at you:

Walk quickly and carefully away from the area, and avoid walking there when magpies are swooping.
Make a temporary sign to warn other people.
Magpies are less likely to swoop if you look at them. Try to keep an eye on the magpie, at the same time walking carefully away. Alternatively, you can draw or sew a pair of eyes onto the back of a hat, and wear it when walking through the area. You can also try wearing your sunglasses on the back of your head.
Wear a bicycle or skateboard helmet. Any sort of hat, even a hat made from an ice cream container or cardboard box, will help protect you.
Carry an open umbrella, or a stick or small branch, above your head but do not swing it at the magpie, as this will only provoke it to attack.
If you are riding a bicycle when the magpie swoops, get off the bicycle and wheel it quickly through the area. Your bicycle helmet will protect your head, and you can attach a tall red safety flag to your bicycle or hold a stick or branch as a deterrent.

So, any of you who want to visit in the spring...start sewing those eyes onto the back of your hat:):)