Magpie season has well and truly landed this year, with photographic evidence all but confirming the bird’s penchant for aerial aggression.
The incident occurred on the afternoon of Monday, September 9, at a property on Labuan Rd between Numurkah and Katamatite.
Bruce McKean and daughter Kimberley witnessed a trio of magpies swoop a koala for at least 20 minutes.
“Kimberley noticed the magpies were making a lot of noise,” Mr McKean said.
Stepping outside with his 300mm lens, it was all Mr McKean could do but stand witness to the avian onslaught.
“You don’t want to see a poor animal suffer. But there’s nothing you can do — it’s nature.”
Mr McKean had seen the particular koala before, but this was the first time he could recall magpies attacking it.
“When the birds hit it, you could hear a whack.
“He put his hand up to try and get them away. Then he jumped to another branch and climbed up the tree another five metres.”
The uncharacteristically nimble koala climbed at least 15 metres up the tree, Mr McKean estimated.
“Where those first photos were taken, it was pretty open. Then he went up to the higher ones where there was a lot more foliage.”
According to Mr McKean, as many as four flocks of magpies live in the nearby gum trees.
Mr McKean and his daughter could see no sign of a bird nest in the tree where the koala sheltered.
When he looked later that afternoon, the koala remained, nestled in the arms of the gum tree.
There was no sign of the magpies in question.
By the morning of Tuesday, September 10, the koala was also gone.