September is usually the time to avoid magpies as swooping season begins, but a little kindness can go a long way to gain the trust of the territorial birds.
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Spring is nesting season for magpies, and some will swoop to guard their territory while caring for their young.
For Wagga's Mick Creed, the season is simply a time to catch up with old friends as his local birds stock up on food.
Mr Creed has befriended three magpies in Turvey Park by regularly feeding them mince from the back of his business, M & V Second Hand Furniture.
The tradition was started by Mr Creed's late brother, who used to sell pet mince from the neighbouring store and fed the leftovers to the local birds.
While the birds are known to swoop cyclists as they ride past, Mr Creed said they were kind to him and happy to wander into the store to remind him to put out some food.
"They don't swoop us because they don't bite the hand that feeds them I suppose," he said.
Charles Sturt University ornithology lecturer Melanie Massaro said magpies could recognise individual humans and treated them differently.
"If you start screaming and yelling at them they will get more agitated and they're more likely to swoop you," she said.
"If you're a particular individual that they don't like, they'll swoop you even more."
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Dr Massaro said because magpies were long-living birds, locals could gain their trust over the years.
Cyclists, she said, were possibly at greater risk of swooping because the speed they travel scares the birds.
Dr Massaro said it was unlikely the magpies intended to harm their targets.
"They just swoop you to scare you off, because when they actually collide with you it hurts them too," she said.
She said it was best to simply avoid areas swooping magpies were guarding, or stick a hand in the air when under attack to convince the bird to aim higher.
Mr Creed said there was no point trying to shoo away a swooping magpie, and cyclists were more safe if they wore a helmet and just kept peddling.
"They're only looking after their young, that's all they're doing, same as we all do," he said.
