Birdstrike!

stage_fright

I was decending at 20mph+ last week (ok, not hugely impressive by quick for me), when I was saw a brief blur and then a bang as I got hit in the forehead by one of our feathered friends. Not sure I had my priorities right here, but I stopped, checked by shiny new helmet for damage, then went back uphill looking to see if bird in question was in the road.

Didn't find the little herbert - spent the rest of the ride thinking that a beak in the unprotected forehead at 20pmh+ is bound to smart...then wandered into 'what happens if the beak then gets lodged and I am braking trying to free a terrified bird from its death-grip on my head...' type scenarios.

Now - withour taking this into 'another reason to wear a helmet type' debate - anyone else had wild life turn on them while out on a nice evening's ride?

Or is it just me? (Have also been attacked by a goat while out riding...)

Parkey

I had a shrew turn on me once as I stormed my way along a bridleway.

At about two inches long it certainly couldn't have hurt me but the sudden evaisive manoeuvres I took to avoid it are another matter entirely.

Clever Pun

on the canal paths some of the coots(?) were very territorial...

I saw a swan chase someone rowing once that made me chuckle... mainly cause it wasn't me

attica

I was following a friend down a hill on Exmoor back in the spring, a pheasant did an (almost literally) suicide swoop across the road in front of an oncoming van.

Didn't quite make it over the van.

Bounced off the top offside corner of the van.

Bounced off my friends shoulder.

Landed in the verge as I passed.

By the time we'd turned around all that was left were a few feathers and a bruised shoulder.

synchronicity

Yes. The dreaded magpie is feared in Australia. I've been attacked, and so have many others:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usFuPKyR2A0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opWFXgxLGRE

geoff_ss

A mate of mine had a pheasant commit suicide by pushing its head through one of the rear wheels of his trike as he rode through Chatsworth park. He retrieved it and had it for dinner that night. A good reason to ride with a saddle bag

Another friend had a mid-air between a pigeon and his aerobatic RC plane. The pigeon died; the model survived. Very unusual, as birds easily evade models and usually totally ignore them. Sharing a thermal with a buzzard when flying a model glider is very satisfying.

Geoff

reaper2

had a squirrel jump on my foot once for one whole revolution. not sure who was more surprised. It may have been part of his daily workout.

SteK

I've heard about a few joggers in my hometown of Scarborough being attacked by seagulls, something to do with the motion of their head and shoulders making the seagulls think they're a predator during nesting times.

They're bloody big up close too. Wouldn't fancy taking one on. I haven't heard about them having a problem with cyclists.... yet....

When I used to ride through Dalby Forest I'd quite often be snarled at by startled badgers at the side of the road on early morning rides... They've got mean teeth.

grayo59

Back to topic now...

A birds trike should have a pink frame with a basket on the front. Maybe a little shopping thing between the two back wheels and white backed mirrors of course!

borisvanhalen

went through a swarm of honey bees last month... didn't get stung once, but then lost an argument with a wasp 2 hrs later

borisvanhalen

nearly ran over an Adder (snake) on mon :shock: , looked like a small crack in the tarmac until i noticed it was moving... swerved just in time... they're vicious if provoked but i doubt it was going to catch me when i was doing 25mph

peanut

Nearly ran over a frog yesterday. It was hopping like crazy across our car park heading away from my neighbours pond towards gravel and asphalt with no protection anywhere.
Stopped retrieved said frog just in time before my cat got it.
Walked it back 20 yards to the pond and deposited it under some foliage.

Felt really good about that. Half hour later my neighbour stopped by to tell me that a grass snake in his pond area had caught the frog and eaten him . !!... :shock: poor litle sod had nearly made a clean getaway before I returned him

Seems nature always knows what it is doing and we really shouldn't interfere

redvee

Geoff_SS wrote:

A mate of mine had a pheasant commit suicide by pushing its head through one of the rear wheels of his trike as he rode through Chatsworth park. He retrieved it and had it for dinner that night. A good reason to ride with a saddle bag

Geoff

I was under the impression that if you killed game on the roads etc, you weren;'t able to claim it, however if somebody else has done the mortal bit for you then it's fair game.

bonk man

A club mate was knocked into a hedge by a pheasant during a time trial.. I cartwheeled over the bars at 20 mph after hitting a stupid cat also during a tt ..

We got attacked by a flock of geese on a club ride years ago and my mate got wasped on the head on Sunday ooouch.

Nature...........................dangerous stuff. :?

SteveR_100Milers

I just got done by a wasp half way through tonights club 10. It got stuck between my head and the strap and stung me in the temple. Bl00dy hurts even now, and cost me abot 5s I reckon....

Peasoup

suicidal quokka on Rottnest Island, Western Australia.

Ran out onto path, took both wheels and carried on running across.

Pretty hard them-thar quokkas, no doubt toughened up by years of "playing" quokka soccer!

kettrinboy

nobody,s mentioned dumb ass pidgeons, these have got to be the thickest birds on the planet closely followed by pheasants but at least pheasants make an attempt to get away by doing that stupid running down the road in front of you then taking to the hedge, pidgeons just sit there till the last millisecond before taking off except they are usually so fat they just cant get off the ground fast enough , had several close shaves with them on my road bike and splattered one on my motorbike, after wobbling to a halt found it had cracked my top fairing , bloody things i hate em