Black and white
I have a magpie around the corner that swoops me every time I ride past him. But never when I walk past him.
The only difference is the bicycle.
It’s not the helmet obscuring my face because I wear a cap when I’m walking. That is, he’s not identifying me uniquely, or otherwise, in either scenario.
People on bicycles clearly offer less threat than people walking. Cyclists don’t have the time or inclination to hunt magpies.
A pedestrian is more able to mount a defense, say pick up a stick or a rock. A cyclist has to stop to do that.
They have good memories so he knows by now that I do not represent a threat to his nest. Or he’s a goldfish and has no idea who I am.
He never attacks cars or motor bikes. So it’s not speed.
I claim the fucker is just entertaining himself. He usually has three goes over a couple of hundred metres. And he’ll actually hit my helmet with his beak.
GPT says the magpie may be practising aerial attack manoeuvres on cyclists because they provide moving targets that are unlikely to retaliate. But he has plenty of practise with the mynas, so nuh.
We’ll never know.
I just went by on my motorbike. I found the fucker on the grass verge so I got close and blasted him with the horn. Really enjoyed that.
