Spring Has Sprung…right upside my head

You may have seen the photo I posted on Facebook showing a stalking magpie on my route to work.



I thought at the time that it was an anomaly, just one crazy bird. Since then I have learned it is quite common here. We are now in full blown Spring season, and magpies everywhere are defending their nests. It seems their favorite objects of scorn are bikers. They swoop down at your head and usually make this clicking noise seemingly right in your ear, making you think you’re being shot at or something! I’d really like to know how they make that sound, too. Sometimes they even make contact with your helmet, which makes me a little angry. I’ve never been the type to want to shoot a bird, but they are really starting to inspire something in me!

They actually do stalk you, too. The first time I saw it was when I took that photo of theo. The first time I experienced it myself was totally eerie. I was riding down a sidewalk on a street lined with telephone poles. I couldn’t see the bird, as I was looking ahead and down at the sidewalk. What I did notice was a shadow on the sidewalk of a bird on the wire, then as I continued, the bird would swoop to the next section of line, then the next. Finally it made its move at me and then I knew for sure it was stalking me. How creepy! I often wish I could resurrect Alfred Hitchcock (or Hitch as I like to call my other dead secret soul mate) and assist him in making a sequel of “The Birds” here in Australia, because I think the natural talent is abundant!

I’m confounded about why they choose bikers, since we are simply riding quickly through their territory and aren’t even around long enough to disturb their nests. Cars are too large and fast. People walking are too small and slow? I don’t know. But bikers apparently are just right.

Some bikers put zip ties on their helmets so they extend upwards like little alien antennae, which I think I’m going to try, although I know I’m going to look like an even bigger dufus with them on. I’m still weighing which is worse, but I’m leaning towards looking like a dufus.