have you been warned about the magpies!!!
Jul 6th 2002, 7:20 am
#16
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: have you been warned about the magpies!!!
"dotty" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I screamed with laughter at this post, two years ago our neighbour was at his wits
> end with the magpies chopping away at his kids so he fired at one with a nail gun
> (power tool used by builders). Within minutes the police arrived with sirens and
> lights and guns, he was threatened with arrest, had his house searched for weapons,
> was read the riot act on killing wildlife, using weapons and basically hauled over
> for a good half hour.
Lucky he wasn't arrested....let's just think about this for a moment. Can
you imagine the scene every September to October (magpie and plover nesting
season) if every good citizen felt he or she was well within their rights to
shoot at these birds if they thought thay were a threat to their safety.
Normally peaceful neighbourhoods would transform into war zones overnight..
We went to his defense and explained the attacks on the
> kids,and were basically warned that we could be arrested too if we were party to
> it!!! The whole thing was hilarious really, especially when we'd just had a load
> of stuff nicked out of the garage and the cops told us they were too busy to
> come out!!
Really, come on - a burglary after the fact is no where near as serious as the
potential harm caused by some looney running around blasting away with a
lethal weapon.
Probably best to learn to live with
> them.
Exactly! You come to live in Australia, you accept Australia on Australia's terms. It
is the home to lots of potentially dangerous beasties but nearly 20 million people
co-exist happily and peacefully with them.
By the way shooting dangerous snakes is an offence too. You can
> pick them up and return them to the bush tho, hands up whos game ???
Discharging a lethal weapon of any kind in anything other than a controlled situation
here in Australia is unlawful and treated very seriously. Dotty, I feel your
neighbour got off very lightly.
For those in the UK who feel they can't live without their guns, go to New Zealand
instead. In the forest parks and on the farms over there it's pretty much open
slather. As long as you have your NZ firearms licence, and call it duck-shooting, pig
or deer hunting or whatever, you can pretty much blast away to your heart's content.
John
news:[email protected]...
> I screamed with laughter at this post, two years ago our neighbour was at his wits
> end with the magpies chopping away at his kids so he fired at one with a nail gun
> (power tool used by builders). Within minutes the police arrived with sirens and
> lights and guns, he was threatened with arrest, had his house searched for weapons,
> was read the riot act on killing wildlife, using weapons and basically hauled over
> for a good half hour.
Lucky he wasn't arrested....let's just think about this for a moment. Can
you imagine the scene every September to October (magpie and plover nesting
season) if every good citizen felt he or she was well within their rights to
shoot at these birds if they thought thay were a threat to their safety.
Normally peaceful neighbourhoods would transform into war zones overnight..
We went to his defense and explained the attacks on the
> kids,and were basically warned that we could be arrested too if we were party to
> it!!! The whole thing was hilarious really, especially when we'd just had a load
> of stuff nicked out of the garage and the cops told us they were too busy to
> come out!!
Really, come on - a burglary after the fact is no where near as serious as the
potential harm caused by some looney running around blasting away with a
lethal weapon.
Probably best to learn to live with
> them.
Exactly! You come to live in Australia, you accept Australia on Australia's terms. It
is the home to lots of potentially dangerous beasties but nearly 20 million people
co-exist happily and peacefully with them.
By the way shooting dangerous snakes is an offence too. You can
> pick them up and return them to the bush tho, hands up whos game ???
Discharging a lethal weapon of any kind in anything other than a controlled situation
here in Australia is unlawful and treated very seriously. Dotty, I feel your
neighbour got off very lightly.
For those in the UK who feel they can't live without their guns, go to New Zealand
instead. In the forest parks and on the farms over there it's pretty much open
slather. As long as you have your NZ firearms licence, and call it duck-shooting, pig
or deer hunting or whatever, you can pretty much blast away to your heart's content.
John
Jul 6th 2002, 12:20 pm
#17
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: have you been warned about the magpies!!!
"Johnny Boy" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> For those in the UK who feel they can't live without their guns, go to New Zealand
> instead. In the forest parks and on the farms over there it's
pretty
> much open slather. As long as you have your NZ firearms licence, and call
it
> duck-shooting, pig or deer hunting or whatever, you can pretty much blast away to
> your heart's content.
>
> John
No, please don't. Really. Go to America instead - much better.
Winnie
> For those in the UK who feel they can't live without their guns, go to New Zealand
> instead. In the forest parks and on the farms over there it's
pretty
> much open slather. As long as you have your NZ firearms licence, and call
it
> duck-shooting, pig or deer hunting or whatever, you can pretty much blast away to
> your heart's content.
>
> John
No, please don't. Really. Go to America instead - much better.
Winnie
Jul 6th 2002, 2:20 pm
#18
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: have you been warned about the magpies!!!
"Helena" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> "Winnie" <[email protected]> wrote
> > "owen27" <[email protected]> wrote
> > > Hi there! on previous threads people have been talking about all the creepy
> > > crawlies...snakes etc and all the sea beasties!!! but not one person has
> > > mentioned the magpies......
> >
> > I wonder if Aussie and NZ Magpies are the same? The NZ ones certainly make much
> > more pleasant and varied noises than european magpies, and are more flashy too.
>
> I believe the magpies in NZ are Aussie ones that were introduced to the country but
> am not totally positive about that. I think the Aussie magpie is gorgeous. And they
> sing so beautifully, I love the sound. You just have to watch them around nesting
> time (Sep/Oct) since they swoop on & attack people & pets nearby. Cyclists have
> been known to fall off their bikes or ride into trees due to these kamikaze
> magpies. The magpies seem to like going for your eye so you've got to watch
> yourself, and your kids especially. And your dog too since most dogs tend to try to
> attack back.
>
> Just one more "beastie" to watch out for!
>
> Helena
As far as I know, technically there is no relation between the Ozzie "magpie" and
the European one, they just look very similar so were mistaken by the europeans to
be the same.
IMHO, they are gorgeous, and I remember their group tactic to snatch my sandwitch
from a picnic table as a good story to talk about...
--Amos
news:<[email protected]>...
> "Winnie" <[email protected]> wrote
> > "owen27" <[email protected]> wrote
> > > Hi there! on previous threads people have been talking about all the creepy
> > > crawlies...snakes etc and all the sea beasties!!! but not one person has
> > > mentioned the magpies......
> >
> > I wonder if Aussie and NZ Magpies are the same? The NZ ones certainly make much
> > more pleasant and varied noises than european magpies, and are more flashy too.
>
> I believe the magpies in NZ are Aussie ones that were introduced to the country but
> am not totally positive about that. I think the Aussie magpie is gorgeous. And they
> sing so beautifully, I love the sound. You just have to watch them around nesting
> time (Sep/Oct) since they swoop on & attack people & pets nearby. Cyclists have
> been known to fall off their bikes or ride into trees due to these kamikaze
> magpies. The magpies seem to like going for your eye so you've got to watch
> yourself, and your kids especially. And your dog too since most dogs tend to try to
> attack back.
>
> Just one more "beastie" to watch out for!
>
> Helena
As far as I know, technically there is no relation between the Ozzie "magpie" and
the European one, they just look very similar so were mistaken by the europeans to
be the same.
IMHO, they are gorgeous, and I remember their group tactic to snatch my sandwitch
from a picnic table as a good story to talk about...
--Amos
Jul 7th 2002, 2:32 am
#19
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2002
Location: Sydney
Posts: 336
Re: have you been warned about the magpies!!!
That's nothing! My mum and I were attacked by a Plover in the Newforest in England whilst out riding last year! We ended up having to gallop off on our horses to get away from it! Just glad we had our riding hats on and the horses weren't too impressed either! So its not only Australia that has the nasties! by the way the magpies here in Sydney seem to be a lot bigger and meaner looking than the ones in the uk, we have one here that sits on our tv airial and sings, much nicer song than uk ones. Also can't get over the amount of parrots, galahs and cockatoos there are around here, I'm glad they don't attack, or do they!!
mandy
mandy
Jul 9th 2002, 10:15 am
#20
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 60
Re: have you been warned about the magpies!!!
Did you know that cats also kill quite a significant number of songbirds? Just thought your neighbours should be entitled to know.
Cuckoo's have also been known to kill chicks as well. Golden Eagles, Osprey, Red Kite, Kestrel and Buzzard are also predatory birds and interestingly they have also all been threatened over the years by un-informed idiots who think they are a threat to their livestock/health/family/songbird population. You may not like something but that does not justify trying to wipe out local populations.
Rich
Cuckoo's have also been known to kill chicks as well. Golden Eagles, Osprey, Red Kite, Kestrel and Buzzard are also predatory birds and interestingly they have also all been threatened over the years by un-informed idiots who think they are a threat to their livestock/health/family/songbird population. You may not like something but that does not justify trying to wipe out local populations.
Rich
