About six months from now, life in Australia becomes a little more perilous than usual.
Not like other places, where there are actual carnivores roaming the land, but as nesting season arrives with spring, Australian magpies become fiercely territorial, swooping down on pedestrians and especially cyclists to try to scare them away.
They are pretty good at this. The rush of a bird skimming just over your head, the clack of their beak, and even a scratch from their claws is enough for most people to find another route that doesn’t come anywhere near the nest.
I’ve had the occasional attack and they can be frightening. Even dangerous. Get a magpie foot in your eye and the day goes very sour.
A wise woman makes friends with the magpies ahead of time.
Magpies are mid-level predators. Insects, worms, small reptiles. They enjoy scraps of meat, bits of bacon, cat kibble.
A little patience and they will eat from your hand, looking at you along their sharp beaks and asking for more, faster.
Perhaps the best part is when they warble to let you know that they are comfortable with you as a source of food.
Princess Fluffypants is not quite so sanguine. She not only sees her food supply diverted to feed rivals but the magpies will cheerfully swoop her, nesting season or not.
It’s autumn now and our deciduous trees are colouring up and shedding their leaves. Some parks and streets are just glorious for a week or so, especially in the older bayside suburb I call home. Magpie nesting season is months away and all is good, apart from the looming threat of winter with its cold and rain and short days.
Right now, I love to sit out under the elm, if the weather is clement, with a scone or the last of the hot cross buns. A bit of butter and ginger marmalade to go with the Earl Grey, a bit of birdsong, and I can escape the worries of the world, just for a few minutes.
I’d best get back to work, though. I have things to do and not a great deal of spare time in the day to get them done.
Still, it’s delightful to sit outside in the mild weather with a friend to recharge the batteries. Another month and we will be huddling inside the sunroom, looking out at a bleak garden under bare trees, most likely with a bit of drizzle and gloom to make the idea of going into the garden at all an exercise in masochism.
Spring will follow, with its winds and bright green leaves and blossoms.
And magpies.
Britni
Video from Google’s Veo 2, along with a snippet of magpie carolling downloaded from the internet. It gives some of the flavour of my life right now. I’d best get those leaves raked up soon, hey?
For those who might not be familiar with our magpies, here’s a sample:
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