The arrival of springtime is enough to strike fear into the very heart and soul of every Aussie, for 'tis the season when magpies choose violence.

Canberra-based cycling enthusiast Stephanie Skinner, is putting her body on the line for science, testing various magpie deterrent strategies and documenting her often hilarious results for her Instagram followers.

The 30-year-old has had her fair share of encounters with the local magpie population over the seven years she's been cycling to work.

"When I first started cycling, I found it really scary getting swooped, but I think you get swooped enough times, especially if you are riding long distances, that you start to realise that most magpies generally don't want to hurt you," she said.

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