Spring, wintertime, fall and summer season– neglect them. In Australia there’s just one period that matters which’s magpie period.
And an expert hang glider was shocked to discover it’s that time once more while he was skyrocketing 300 feet (91 metres) over theBlue Mountains Neil Evans has actually shared video clip with Yahoo News of his experience last Friday.
“Hello maggie,” he says before a territorial male flies directly towards him.
Reflecting on that moment this afternoon, Neil recalled the first thing he heard was the bird warbling. “Then he flew up and then attacked me. He kept going until I was out of his area — probably half a dozen times,” he said.
Related: How to avoid being swooped by smart magpies
Why Neil respects the magpie who attacked him
Luckily the magpie was more interested in striking the wings than Neil, and after he left its territory the bird left him alone. Male magpies only attack to defend their chicks in August and October, and as a father himself he can’t help but respect them.
“They just go to the glider and I think it shows a lot of heart,” he said.
“I love nature, and they’re a beautiful bird — most of the year they’re really friendly. But they just have a job to do right now.
“I actually talked to the magpie. That’s what I do when they come at me, sometimes I whistle a bit.”
Neil has now uploaded the footage to TikTok with a thumping Fat Boy Slim soundtrack, exciting hang-gliding enthusiasts around the world and clocking up over 40,000 views.
What it’s like flying beside an eagle
Seeing birds in the sky is more exciting than watching them from the ground. It’s not just magpies Neil encounters, he also sometimes gets to engage with Australia’s largest bird of prey the wedge-tailed eagle.
“When I get into a thermal with a wedge-tail it just looks straight through you. It’s incredible, it just makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up,” Neil said.
“Because they have efficient wings they’ll come right up to you, then they’ll fly off and go: He’s no dramas.”
Love Australia’s weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the week’s best stories.
