Encounters with wildlife

Giraffoto

I do nearly all of my riding after half-past seven. Inevitably this entails a fair amount of riding in the dark, but what you lose in scenery you gain in the wildlife you meet - badgers, foxes and deer have all crossed my path, and the other night on the Ridgeway with the forest echoing with tawney owls was slightly spooky and thoroughly breathtaking. Saturday night was one of the best yet as I went along a towpath: a bat flew into the beam of my lights, and moments later was fluttering against my chest before flying away again.

cooldad

I saw a badger but it was dead.

welshkev

wild boar in Fod

cooldad

Tasty

cooldad

The boar, not the dead badger.

j_l

got a flash of beaver once, but then she pulled her knickers up

Giraffoto

welshkev wrote:

wild boar in Fod

Forest of Deane? Or is there a place called Fod?

prawny

Ohh, that kind of encounters.

Most dissapointing thread ever.

97th choice

Plenty of wildlife, most interesting being deer which tend to use some of the natural trails local to me considering the frequency at which they're encountered.

mcnultycop

Doggers.

welshkev

Giraffoto wrote:

welshkev wrote:

wild boar in Fod

Forest of Deane? Or is there a place called Fod?

sorry i'll type it out (I usually type FoD, silly auto correct)

Forest of Dean (no 'e') but yes, that's where I meant

Giraffoto

Unless or until someone proves there are wild pumas in the UK, wild boar are the species I'd least like to run into in the woods!

The Rookie

Running into a badger won't leave your front wheel any better off.

I did come across a Moose once when in North America, that was a big beasty, it was about 5am as it was my first day there and jetlag had got me up (past 9am UK time!).

felix.london

Marmottes, Chamoix, Deer and if you're really lucky there are plenty of ibex 'round here but they tend to stay pretty high up and out the way. And wolves! but never encountered one...

kangaroo

Quit often see deer around Cannock Chase (not the trail centre area). seen a few large birds of prey, not sure what they were. And a couple of years ago we spotted a wild boar there.

rockmonkeysc

I have ridden over a badger, if I saw it earlier I could have boosted a jump off it and looked stylish.
There are a lot of doggers in the woods at night. Do they count as wildlife?

Kowalski675

I've run over a large badger, but I was driving a Nissan at the time, not my Boardman.

lbalony

Kowalski675 wrote:

I've run over a large badger, but I was driving a Nissan at the time, not my Boardman.

I rode under a Giraffe once at Dalby. Wasnt night just dusk and was stood at Medusa's across the trail. Lots of Giraffes in Dalby seen a few now.

The Northern Monkey

I saw a king fisher flying up and down one of the streams at Cwmcarn once, ace looking thing.

Also, I stopped for a break at the top of a climb and was quietly having a drink. Just happened to look up and there was a maaahhhive bird of prey sat on a tree branch just above eye level about 1m away.

homers_double

Almost hit a small deer whilst night riding, other than that it's just sheep and the odd cow round here.

Cows are stupid and just stand there so I shout mooooooove! Then laugh to mysef at such a rubbish joke.

prawny

kangaroo wrote:

Quit often see deer around Cannock Chase (not the trail centre area).

There's loads around follow the dog in the mornings too. Last winter I scared the crap out of one on the rollers when it was still dark, poor thing was skidding all over the place on the rocks trying to get away.

lochussie

Recently came round a corner to find bear 5m away on trail, luckily running away.

Myster101

Normally see deer and squirrels at Whinlatter. On my local route I see deer, foxes, sheep, cows, bulls, horses and dragons.

paul.skibum

In BC I have encountered a moose, bears, coyote, rattlesnakes and deer. In the UK deer, cows, sheep, squirrels and toads/frogs. In france I never saw nothing. I have talked to a bear to get it to back away and could have kicked a bear cub in the arse on another occassion coming round a corner. Rattler tried to bite me and I ran it over. Coyote ran away when I came toward it on a downhill section. Moose just watched me pass by, it looked a bit sad.

I have seen a variety of birds in that mix but I dont know a bald eagle from a sparrow so who knows what they were (I do actually know a bald eagle and could have a fair guess at a sparrow but everything in between is a bit vague).

prawny

Saw a red squirrel at Kirroughtree the other week, that was nice, only get grey tree rats round my way.

busta gonad

I was descending off High street in the Lakes one autumn, when I heard the roar of a stag, it charged down the hillside to my left, towards me, then veered off at the last moment, it was during the rut, so must have thought I was another stag, invading it's territory, surreal.

Kowalski675

I told you not to put those fake antlers on your helmet...

Giraffoto

It's an argument against wide handlebars if they make you look like a potential threat to a red deer stag . . .

welshkev

Giraffoto wrote:

Unless or until someone proves there are wild pumas in the UK, wild boar are the species I'd least like to run into in the woods!

the last time was in the winter last year. I was with northern monkey I think. I could hear this rustling in th ebushes bbut as we were on a fireroad I didn't have my helmet light on so couldn't see what was ion the bushes, I just assumed it was a fox or whatever.

2 guys came riding really fast behind us saying "did you just see them?"

apparently there was 3 or 4 wild boar just off the trail watching us all and getting ready to charge out of the bushes

stubs

A Barn Owl flew towards me last week as I was sat on the bike having an energy bar. It only saw me when it was about 10 yards away it then wheeled away showing all its white undersides. Beautiful sight in the evening as it was starting to get dark it really stood out against the trees.

cooldad

You were flashed by an owl? Dirty dirty bird.