Mr Wright, of Rutherford, was riding home from work along Aberglasslyn Road when a magpie took aim and landed one just under his left eye. In a second attack he was scratched behind his left ear.

The end of winter marks the start of magpie swooping season and Hunter residents have been warned to keep an eye on the skies.

National Parks and Wildlife Service’s Lawrence Orel said the last weeks of winter and the start of spring was usually when the magpie breeding season began.

He said the birds are territorial and defend the nesting site. It is usually the male birds that swoop and the most common area for a nest site is a tall tree in an open space.

Mr Wright warned people about going near known Magpie nesting locations.

“The best thing to do is cover your face and ears, you might look like an idiot but it’s worth it,” he said. “Give them as much space as you can.”

He disagreed with the culling of the birds during nesting season. “They’re just protecting their young but I do believe authorities should cut back trees that are in known nesting locations for magpies. They should be cut prior to nesting season to push magpies out of suburban areas,” Mr Wright said.

“It gets a little frightening when they get you close to your eyes. This one had three really good digs at me, the first a pretty hard whack on the face.”