Grown up around Magpie's my whole life, like most Australians, and been swooped more times than I can count. What I found fascinating is the two sides of the M

Grown up around Magpie's my whole life, like most Australians, and been swooped more times than I can count. What I found fascinating is the two sides of the Magpie. You have the ruthless little buggers that terrorise passers-by relentlessly. A common sight in Australia is cyclists wearing helmets with cable ties stuck to them pointing outwards, like a spiky shield. In swooping season, I cannot walk around my neighbourhood without getting attacked (the Magpies near my house are OK, it's the ones further away that are the problem). But they can also be super trusting and affectionate if you establish a rapport. A friend of mine fed one in his backyard, and before long it was flying through the window and perching on his shoulder, nipping at him playfully. It's pretty cute actually! An elderly neighbour up the road feeds the Magpie's every morning around swooping season, as a sort of peace offering so they'll leave her alone.