It is Spring here at the moment and the birds are doing their thing. Unfortunately the magpies here are EVIL especially at this time. Thank God I got my phobia sorted out (Thank you Pam Birchall) because I can honestly say if I hadn't I would never dare leave the house again after seeing what I saw yesterday.

A few mum's had met up at a friends house the kids were out playing on the bikes, all of a sudden it went quiet. We went out to see why? Lauren had come in for a tissue (thank God) but the other 3 kids were sat in somebody's garden their bikes left in the middle of the road. Jacqui (Daniels mum and fellow expat) went over and asked why they were in the garden and left the bikes in the road. The kids said they were hiding from the magpies. Obviously Jacqui told them to stop being silly and get out of the garden and move the bikes. Well..... The minute Lucas got on his bike this magpie came out of nowhere and started chasing him down the road really going for him. It was vicious, we were shouting and trying to scare the magpie away but the faster Lucas rode the more the magpie went for him. It was horrible. None of us could do a thing we were shouting for Lucas to stop but obviously a 6 year old boy being chased by an angry bird is not going to stop easily. Eventually after about 200 metres or more he jumped off his bike and came running back to the house screaming his head off. (who could blame him) The magpie followed him then sat in a tree watching him.

We got all the kids back into the house but then realised the bikes were still strewn all over the street left where the petrified kids had dropped them, the mum's had to go and get them! We all went out at the same time, one magpie can't attack us all at once. Sure enough it came down and swooped at Jacqui who had gone for Lucas' bike. She very calmly walked back to the house (never letting her eye leave the damn bird) and thankfully the bird flew back to it's tree. It was really really horrible - I would never have believed a magpie would do that if I hadn't seen it myself. You could actually hear it's beak snapping as it was going for Lucas' head. (thankfully helmet on)

When I took Lauren to the park last week there were signs up saying beware of the magpies but I never took it that seriously.

I do now.