enduro2 wrote:I've been swooped many times in my years cycling, never any real contacts.
Chin up and just keep putting yourself out there. There are plenty more magpies in the sea.
enduro2 wrote:Mostly they are from behind as maggies just don't seem to be able to catch up with me cycling at ~30km.
Or...do they just not want to?
enduro2 wrote:They are also reactionary so leave the perch as I am passing them.
Hmmm. It's starting to sound political.
Magpies are pretty quick to start with, when they want to be, and dropping in from tall trees or off street lighting gives them a very easy start. I've regularly been continuously harried by one over several hundred metres for the last handful of years that has no trouble catching up, stalling to drop back when I raise an arm, and then diving back in on the other side, repeatedly, sometimes whilst I'm managing to maintain around 40kph. In fact most bird species I observe down the local park don't seem to have any trouble exceeding 40ish [judging by the ease with which they overtake whilst I'm sitting around 30ish], even bigger, not quite as agile aviators like ibis and egrets.
One of my favourite cycling memories was a yellow tailed black cockatoo [not known for any great speed] dropping out of a tree next to the road just in front of me down near Pimpama. It was only a few feet above my head and maintained a heading directly in front of me as it slowly flapped away whilst I was travelling along in the high 30s. From behind it looked very much like one of those toy bird mobiles that hang from kid's ceilings. Just brilliant.
The reason magpies generally don't leave their perch until passing is that they're smart, can work out trajectories on the fly, as it where, and are usually just going to hurry you on your way from behind anyway. You're clearly going to pass them, or their nesting site. Why waste energy rushing to meet you just to do a u-turn? And they might be aggressive, but they're not that mad as to think that shirtfronting you is going to end well for them.
If those in your area have difficulty catching up, they're either lazy, too well fed, or possibly feeling the effects of pesticides, which may account for the decreasing numbers. And on that cheery note, there are a lot more magpies around than those few that decide to add swooping to their skillset. Perhaps those in your area just don't see you as a threat....or attractive.