By Goya Dmytryshchak
Hobsons Bay residents are warning others to be cautious of aggressive, swooping magpies.
Altona resident Jared Smith said he had been swooped while jogging and at first thought someone had slapped him.
“I went for a run two weeks ago down by the Esplanade, just by the life saving club, and I got a big whack on the back of the head,” he said.
“To be honest, I thought it was person.
“I spun round and there was a magpie fluttering about.
“As I turned around, he got me again.”
Mr Smith varied his route but was swooped again.
“I was now being a bit cautious and I was running down Civic Parade. I remember reading on Facebook that there was one down on Civic Parade by one of the bus stops there, so I thought I’ll run on the other side of the road,” Mr Smith said. “Then last week, I went down on the Esplanade again and I ran on the other side of the road and at that point the same one got me again – twice.”
Mr Smith said the swoops were hard enough to injure a frail elderly person or child.
A man, 76, this month died in a cycling accident after trying to avoid a swooping magpie in Woonona. south of Sydney.
People are alerting others to locations where they have been swooped on social media and via websites such as magpiealert.com
