I saw this story, via Warren Bell, and was reminded that I was attacked by a bird when I was in Phoenix in April.

I was walking across a shopping mall parking lot by the hotel where I was staying, and felt something hit my right shoulder from behind. I turned around, and saw a bird hovering. I figured it was an accident, and kept walking, but a few seconds later, it did it again.

I was unsure what to do, but figured that the sooner I got to the mall entrance, the better, so I kept moving, though I didn't run. I was wearing glasses, which I hoped would protect me if it started to peck, but fortunately it didn't. It hit me one more time, and then flew back to a tree behind me. I figured that I may have walked to close to its nest. After that, I continued the walk to the mall entrance without further events, but I kept an eye over my shoulder.

I'd start carrying a slingshot.

Mockingbirds will do this. Had one get after me in Tallahassee a few years ago. What was interesting was that I'd already passed its tree. Maybe it was a "and stay away!" warning.

Assuming that its nest was in the tree that it went to, I too was already past it when it first attacked. I didn't notice if it was a mockingbird (it was dusk), but it was the right size for one.

I had a crow do that to me one time. As I walked down a tree-lined street, it sat up in a tree and made an awful racked, dive-bombing me closer and closer, until it finally hit me on the top of the head with it's feet.

I figured it had a nest in one of the maples along the road.

I've never actually been hit or pecked, but a few times a bird has dived at me. One of those times, it was a hummingbird! The odd thing was that each time it chirped just *after* it flew by me.

This is what tennis rackets were really designed for... Hit the birdy!