Geelong swoops on attack hot-spot status

Jessica Benton
GEELONG is a hotspot for swooping magpies, according to new figures.
A Department of Sustainability and Environment collation of complaint calls to its customer service line about swooping birds recorded 17 from the Geelong region last year.
The figures showed the peak time for swooping incidents was in September when birds were guarding hatchlings.
The department received 259 calls across the state in September and a total 583 for the year.
The department’s Ian Temby said residents should stay wary of swooping birds despite the passing of the peak period for magpies and other species.
“It’s fairly common for Australian birds…to swoop to defend their nests and young, so we’re asking people to stay alert and be tolerant as possible even though we’re well into summer,” he said.
“If a bird is defending its nest by swooping, the best thing you can do is to keep as far away from the nest as possible until the young ones have left the nest.”
Mr Temby said other deterrents included wearing a hat or a bike helmet for protection, applying the department’s stickers depicting eyes to the back of headwear, wearing sunglasses to protect eyes or putting up an umbrella while crossing a swooping zone.