Love birds

9 Responses to Love birds

1. Bob O'Hara says:

   April 10, 2009 at 6:03 am

   They’re just waiting to catch you unawares. They know where you’re looking.
2. Matt Brown says:

   April 10, 2009 at 10:44 am

   You should read pigeon blog
   A wonderful photo-insight into a fowl foul-mouthed London pigeon.
3. Cath Ennis says:

   April 10, 2009 at 4:33 pm

   It’s OK Bob, I cycle wearing wraparound shades. It keeps bugs and other stuff out of my eyes, but the primary benefit is that the crows don’t know when I’m looking at them.
   Thanks for the link Matt! Many memories of travelling around Europe by train with a pigeon-phobic friend when we were 19… after freak-outs in Paris and Rome, I was giving her a very stern lecture in Brussels station about how pigeons are not going to fly into you, so grow up and stop squealing, and a pigeon flew right into my arm.
4. Darren Saunders says:

   April 10, 2009 at 5:03 pm

   Call that a bird?
   We have these guys to contend with. (sorry, no pic. Still can’t figure out image embedding). I used to ride to school every day during the season with my tennis racket in one hand ready to fend off an attack.
   Actually, these guys are one of my favourite birds, they have a beautiful earlt morning/late afternoon song. And you have to admire anything that small with so much spirit!
   Here’s some useful (don’t laugh, it works) advice on dealing with a Magpie attack (from Qld Govt website):
   How magpies attack
   1. Magpies tend to swoop from behind, often from the direction of the sun, so an approaching shadow can be a warning.
   2. They usually sound a specific and recognisable squawk as they attack and some also clack their beak.
   3. Many make warning swoops and deliberately miss while some will make contact.
   4. Birds that make contact usually target the head but learn not to attack helmets so they perform a side swoop attacking ears, cheeks and even eyes.
   Response
   1. In an actual attack, dismount to avoid danger from traffic or from a fall—more people are hurt falling from their bike during a magpie attack than by the bird itself.
   2. Once you have dismounted, look the bird directly in the eye—magpies usually won’t attack when you are watching them.
   3. Other strategies can be to wave your arm above your head and shout to confuse and warn the magpie off.
   4. To avoid attack in the first place, an orange bike flag on a long stick can warn a magpie off. Painting eyes on your helmet is not very effective as magpies have strong eyesight and can learn the difference between painted and real eyes.
5. Stephen Curry says:

   April 11, 2009 at 9:32 am

   You do see the strangest things on wires in Canada. A couple of years ago, we caught sight of this bizarre creature…
   
6. Lee Turnpenny says:

   April 13, 2009 at 4:57 pm

   Presumably, underneath them, out of shot, is Mr. Surburbia proudly washing his brand new car. The birds wait, thinking, ‘You are mine. All mine.’
7. Cath Ennis says:

   April 13, 2009 at 8:07 pm

   Darren, that’s some beak! The Aussie magpies look scarier than their British relatives.
   Stephen, where was that photo taken? It looks like a long crossing!
   Lee, no doubt, it must be almost as much fun as harassing cyclists.
8. Stephen Curry says:

   April 18, 2009 at 8:32 pm

   Sorry Cath, wasn’t paying attention. It was taken at Niagara Falls, just near Murray St (if you click to see the map). The wire was stretched over several streets and was stabilised by diagonal stays that you can’t see in the photo. No harness, though. Impressive.
9. Richard Wintle says:

   April 19, 2009 at 12:48 pm

   That loon professional tightrope walker is an institution in Niagara Falls – every weeknight evening in summer or something like that.
   What’s fun is that your photo makes it look like he’s wandering along above a suburban neighborhood (avoiding crows, presumably – no magpies in this part of Ontario). The wires actually run between a couple of hotel towers as I recall.
   Fabulously over-the-top town, Niagara Falls (so to speak).

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