For anyone out and about during this time of year, it wouldn't be unusual to see someone being swooped, and that's a fear anyone exercising, training or just purely getting outside has to deal with.

In August, magpies begin to breed, activating their protective mode which does not come to an end until October.

Typically, a single magpie will only swoop for six weeks until their chick(s) are fledged and leave the nest. But until then, beware if you are within a few hundred metres of their yearly nesting site.

"I think the magpie season has extended over the years. I used to expect them to start swooping about the end of August, and most would finish that behaviour around the end of October. Now, the start seems to be a month earlier and last year, I had one recalcitrant swoop me a week before Christmas," Peter said.

"Maybe their breeding season is being impacted by climate change."

With his wealth of experience, it has come to Peter's attention that the iconic black and white Australian bird tends to be more aggressive towards cyclists than any other group.

"Magpie attacks are so common that I don't know a runner or cyclist who has not been swooped," he said.

"I don't know why they're more aggressive towards cyclists, perhaps the faster speed is seen as more threatening.

The best method of avoiding an attack is to change up a route and stay in packs, Peter says.

"The main effect, whether running or cycling, is to try to avoid the particularly aggressive birds. That can be difficult if they are located on the most popular running or cycling routes," he said.

"One thing I have learned is that if you run or cycle in a group of two or more, the magpies rarely swoop, and try to avoid routes which have known aggressive magpies."

Magpies have a quality of being able to recognise and remember an individual so Peter says if you can't avoid your route, try to stay calm.

"If you find yourself being swooped, try to remain calm and avoid retaliating. Any bad encounters they've had will only increase their aggression next time," he said.

"When running, I would often grab a stick from the roadside and just continue to run holding the stick vertically so that it was higher than my head. That at least meant the if the magpies did strike it would be the stick and not me that got hit.

"If you are a less confident rider, perhaps it's best to dismount and walk through the magpie zone, even using a stick like a runner and trying to keep an eye on the bird, or having a permanent diversion on your head like multiple cable ties has been known to work."

If you come across an aggressive magpie, let the community know or contribute to https://www.magpiealert.com/.