It's about five weeks. We have a pair who have nested on an island in our
dam three times in quick succession this year. They have always done the
usual noisy divebombing which I mostly ignored, having been told that they
are all 'bark and no bite'. During the most recent nesting, however, the
male has become extremely aggressive and has hit me a number of times. On
one occasion he was swooping at me as I was bending down to pull out a
fireweed. I stood up suddenly and he hurtled straight into my back. He
wobbled off and landed, obviously stunned and I had a rest from the constant
divebombing. On the following day he started up again and attacked our
grandson, delivering a puncture wound and bruising to the lower back. I
suspect that the loss of the first two broods, shortly after the chicks left
the island, has made him more desperate to defend his young this time
around. I hope this lot of chicks survive as I am tired of not being able to
work my property in peace.
Paul Osborn
Bulahdelah, NSW
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