With Spring now sprung everything outside goes into overdrive – it’s easy to miss many things, and some things really stand out! Let’s talk magpies, sleepless nights and flies that are really bees.
Swooping magpies. There is a way around this problem, but it requires understanding our emblematic friends a little better.
1. Magpies live in family groups of a dozen or more
2. They are primarily opportunistic ground feeders
3. When new chicks are born the family members have to find enough food for themselves AND their young. This is very difficult to achieve.
Magpies are NOT defending their nests when you walk by. Do you even know where their nests are?
We actually disturb their chances for finding food – and feeding their babies.
The solution? Be a source of food – not a hindrance to finding it.
If you have regular swooping magpies bring some food to give them. Make sure they see you doing it – hold the food up high, make sure they watch you put it down and move out of the way for them to get it.
WARNING: only do this two or three times. Any more and the magpies will get pushy and start expecting and demanding food from you. This can be worse than swooping.
How will they know not to swoop YOU specifically? Magpies have an amazing memory and recognise your face. They’ll remember you for years to come, too.
On a bike? Bad luck on this one – at least you’re wearing a helmet!
Too noisy to sleep at night? The Willie Wagtail male goes into overdrive during breeding season – and no wonder! His testes (which are internal) expand from being the size of a grain of rice to the size of a bean…it’s not his fault really, he’s been taken over by his hormones.
A large number of birds do this – and you may also get a visit from a migratory Eastern Koel – they love to sing all night long. Probably just outside your window…
Busy bees. Many of the ‘flies’ you see about in the warmer seasons are actually Australian native bees . Be sure to look closely.
Australia has a large number of native bees which are typically small, black, stingless (how rare for an Australian insect) and are usually fairly solitary. They do some really important work pollinating our native flowers – so don’t swat until you check if it’s a fly or a bee.
Enjoy Spring!
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