Attack from Above

Australia is known for it's warm sunny beaches, the deadly jellyfish, blue ringed octopus, sharks and crocodiles that lurk beneath the waves, the red deserts and the poisonous snakes, the misty grey bushland and the host of spiders lurking and waiting to bite an offending body.

What you may not realise is that danger lurks above between August and October.

Other than Dropbears, possibly the most frightening experience I've encountered in areas with trees (suburban, rural or bushland) is the sudden clack of a pointy beak right behind my head and then the sudden Fwhop-fwhop-fwhop of wings beating the air to give the creature enough height to take another swoop at my uncovered head.

I can face a baby red-belly black snake (from ontop a chair, but I still faced it, and moved it with a stick!) but that sound and feeling of attack from above is terrifying.

Magpies are nesting in a tree across the road from the bus stop. One went after me three times today, and followed me halfway to the next bus stop. I'm not ashamed to admit that I ran like a girl till I was out of its range.

Tomorrow's plan of retreat: I take an umbrella and cringe under it. If that doesn't work I'm taking a long cut through some back streets and praying there aren't any feisty Mama & Papa birds hanging out in other trees along that route.