len gardener writes:
from talking to rangers etrc.,. yes the male have testosterone which
kicks in around mating season (like now) and it looks like this year

I recall reading that during the mating season the testicles of
male magpies swell to something like 20 times their normal size.
Apart from the discomfort :-) this means the bird is driven almost crazy
by testosterone-induced instincts (and mood-swings), including its
protective role.

i knew they could get savage

Nah, they try, but I dodge them with alacrity!

In one or two cases magpie attacks have been fatal to humans.
--
John Savage (news address invalid; keep news replies in newsgroup)