This morning a young boy was riding his bike on the footpath along the front of the College on Nicholson Street near the Senior parking entrance when he was swooped by a magpie. The magpie swooped again when the boy was leaving and passing through the vacant area on the corner of Nicholson Street and Aerodrome Road. The College grounds staff are currently investigting the exact location of the magpie nesting area and will contact Council to determine if anything can be done. It is vital that all students, staff and parents are aware that there needs to be caution when passing by this area. Please advise the College if there are any further attacks.

There are a lot of simple things you can do to avoid being swooped by a protective Magpie defending the chicks, such as:

• Walk quickly and carefully away from the area and avoid walking there when Magpies are nesting.
• Draw or sew a pair of eyes onto the back of a hat, and wear it when walking through the area. You can also try wearing your sunglasses on the back of your head.
• Wear a bicycle or skateboard helmet. Any sort of hat, even a hat made from an ice cream container or cardboard box, will help protect you.
• Carry an open umbrella or a stick or small branch above your head but do not swing it at the Magpie, as this will only provoke it to attack.
• If you are riding a bicycle when the Magpie swoops, get off the bicycle and wheel it quickly through the area. Your bicycle helmet will protect your head, and you can attach a tall red safety flag to your bicycle or hold a stick or branch as a deterrent.