Animals seen while cycling

Dolphins.

Couple of weeks ago whilst going through Dundee a couple of dolphins in the Firth of Tay about 25m from shore. Quite exotic, even for Dundee.

Bunnies almost anywhere rural. Muntjac and grass snake up the River Lea towpath, a kamikaze
hedgehog, urban foxes without number, a red squirrel with a death wish in Cumbria, a family of
stoats or weasels capering in the infield during a BHPC race meeting at Darley Moor in Derbyshire,
badger in the woods nearly the RHS garden in Wisley, lotsa bats on the Dunwich Dynamo and the famous
Epping Forest cows wandering up the Leytonstone High Road.

Not wild, but unusual - a field full of ostriches and a llama, both in Denmark.

And herons. Lots of herons.

Dave Larrington - legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uklegslarry.beerdrinkers.co.ukOpen ↗
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Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
bhpc.org.ukbhpc.org.ukOpen ↗
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A family of badgers scurrying up & away from a randonee in France A fox running down the road for a
hundred yards on a road near Yetholm A red squirrel A barn owl swooped in front of me A red kite
only a foot or three above my head An albino pet rabbit. I don't know how long ago it had escaped,
but it still had quite a good turn of speed so seemed healthy enough.

KW

A family of badgers scurrying up & away from a randonee in France A fox running down the road for a
hundred yards on a road near Yetholm A red squirrel A barn owl swooped in front of me A red kite
only a foot or three above my head An albino pet rabbit. I don't know how long ago it had escaped,
but it still had quite a good turn of speed so seemed healthy enough.

KW

Chris Bardell said:

PS: with perfect timing

With rather less than perfect timing the first animals I have noticed for a while (a dog) jumped out
in front of me on the canal towpath this evening. My bike turns out not to be suitable for the
superman position. We both survive to do our respective things in future, although one of the things
I'll be doing is observing the holes in my thumb, arm and leg heal up.

--
Jim Price

jimprice.dsl.pipex.comjimprice.dsl.pipex.comOpen ↗

Conscientious objection is hard work in an economic war.

In article <[email hidden]>, M Series <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

On my local rides I often see sheep (on the road), rabbits, kestrels, partridges. Whilst touring
Tasmania though I saw a couple of dead Tasmanian Devils.

How about this?!

Huge seals basking on a rock, bald eagles circling overhead and enormous purple and orange starfish
in the shallows.

Oh, wait. It was off Vancouver Island. And I was in a canoe.

--
congokid Eating out in London? Read my tips... congokid.comcongokid.comOpen ↗

Jim Price said:

Chris Bardell said:

PS: with perfect timing

With rather less than perfect timing the first animals I have noticed for a while (a dog) jumped
out in front of me on the canal towpath this evening. My bike turns out not to be suitable for the
superman position. We both survive to do our respective things in future, although one of the
things I'll be doing is observing the holes in my thumb, arm and leg heal up.

Saw an adder on the road as we cycled past en route to a bbq a few weeks ago. Completely motionless,
but with head upright and mouth slightly open. Wasn't till I was past that I realised that head was
pointing at my ankle as it went flashing past the adder...

Velvet

Driving near Watlington yesterday, I saw a red kite hanging low above the road, apparently waiting
for something to die. A roadie coming the other way was oblivious of it - and possibly happier
that way...
--
Sue ];(🙂

"Chris Bardell" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

OK, a pretty frivolous thread, but I've enjoyed seeing various animals while out & about since I
started cycling again.

I'm sure there are plenty of folks here who've been to exotic places & seen very rare animals -
fire away.

As far as in the UK, I've seen rabbits (millions of the suicidal buggers), hares (some HUGE, all
very fast), deer (big one), deer (small one), deer (youngish version of a big one), foxes.

Saw one deer (Hare Warren wood -?- near Wilton, Wiltshire). Beautiful thing - guessing a 'teenage'
deer cos it was a big sod, but was still doing that 'tamping' (?) thing where it kicks its hind
legs out & jumps about, just for the sheer fun of it. Saw me (150m+ away on the bike) & was GONE
in under a second.

Up here in Naaarf*ck last autumn I was going down a narrow lane one night with a car heading
towards me, so I was keeping a close eye on the car. Across my vision went something huge &
brilliant-white (got a fairly bright Cateye rechargeable headlight). Figured it was a barn or
tawny owl. Just unfortunate timing cos oncoming car meant I couldn't follow it with my eyes
(whatever it was).

Frivolous thread as I say, but any nice animal-spots in the URC house? In the UK or abroad? Anyone
seen the legendary / mythical 'big cats' in Norfolk or round Bodmin way?

PS: with perfect timing I also saw a bull mounting a female cow as I rode by
(Stratford-sub-Castle, nr. Salisbury). Naturally I shouted him some encouragement :-) Go on my
son, etc.

Rocky Mountain Bighorn sheep in Glenwood Canyon, Colorado Grizzly Bear (way off in the distance) in
Glacier National Park, Montana. Bottlenose Dolphin from the Pacific Coast Highway (old route 1) in
Santa Barbara California Diamondback rattlesnake whilst in Moab Utah 6" yellow banana slug in
Sequioa National park Black bear in Cape Breton Highlands, Novia Scotia and last but not
least.......a real live beaver in Andover, Massachusetts.

(Plus a gaggle of other more commont critters like dogs, deer, cats, and unsavory drivers)

Saw a terrapin in barking park boating lake this week. Also there were two goldfish last week but I
think the cormarant would have had them for a light breakfast by now.

Ivor Cave

Sue said:

Driving near Watlington yesterday, I saw a red kite hanging low above the road, apparently waiting
for something to die. A roadie coming the other way was oblivious of it - and possibly happier
that way...

Badgers loads and loads of badgers god damn wheel benders. saw one tear off a car bumper too due to
sheer mass of the thing.
--
Michael Kent

There are only 10 types of people in this world. Those who understand binary,... and those that
don't Remove Shaggy's best friend to reply

Quoted message said:

My theme this month seems to be Green Woodpeckers. Cant seem to ride without seeing one at the
moment (Brighton area)

Stan Cox

It can be fun counting the number of singing yellowhammers - cycling takes you deep into prime
yellowhammer country - they like hedgerows and tend to sing from exposed places and are, well,
yellow - not hard to miss. (How they have not been wiped out by sparrowhawks I dont know, perhaps
they are toxic)

Another cycling favourite are bullfinches.

Saw a golden eagle once while mending a puncture in Glen Roy.

Richard Webb

congokid said:

In article <[email hidden]>, M Series <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

On my local rides I often see sheep (on the road), rabbits, kestrels, partridges. Whilst touring
Tasmania though I saw a couple of dead Tasmanian Devils.

How about this?!

Huge seals basking on a rock, bald eagles circling overhead and enormous purple and orange starfish
in the shallows.

Oh, wait. It was off Vancouver Island. And I was in a canoe.

Cyclists wanting a similar experience should consider a trip on the Port Hardy(Vancouver Island)
- Bella Coola (up a fjord) Ferry. Now that is a wildlife spectacular. Its a car ferry, but they
stop for whales. A very cost effective whale watching option. Plenty of bald eagles in Bella
Coola (and bears)

Richard Webb

Taywood said:

One August I rode in the dark from GlenMore to Forest Lodge and slept in the heather watching the
stars circling. I woke early and rode for hours. On the way back to Aviemore mid morning I saw a
large red squirrel with a bushy white tail, then another and finally a third as I neared Glenmore
Lodge. It couldnt be the same one!

Intrigued I went to the Forest Office to ask. The local ladies thought I was taking the mick, they
lived there and they'd never ever seen a squirrel with a white tail. Finally they phoned a forest
ranger who confirmed that they did have squirrels who grew a white tail as they aged. He thought
that being older and more canny they stayed clear of walkers.

Saw a white tailed squirrel near Forres on Monday.. Thought it was unusual, and am pleasantly
surprised to see the phenomonon turn up here.

Sadly I was not on my bike at the time. Must take my bike up there - great looking roads.

Richard Webb

In article <[email hidden]>, RJ Webb
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Cyclists wanting a similar experience should consider a trip on the Port Hardy(Vancouver Island)
- Bella Coola (up a fjord) Ferry. Now that is a wildlife spectacular. Its a car ferry, but they
stop for whales. A very cost effective whale watching option. Plenty of bald eagles in Bella
Coola (and bears)

I was on the Nanaimo-Gabriola Island ferry. It would have been nice to have a bike to explore both
islands. Maybe I'll return someday.

--
congokid Eating out in London? Read my tips... congokid.comcongokid.comOpen ↗

Sue wrote

Quoted message said:

Driving near Watlington yesterday, I saw a red kite hanging low above the road, apparently waiting
for something to die. A roadie coming the other way was oblivious of it - and possibly happier
that way...

My best red kite sightings in the Chilterns have always been from a bike - perhaps it's because I
look like I'm about to become carrion as I haul myself up the hills. Couple of days ago, near the
windmill at Turville, saw 4 of them together - just as I rounded that particularly steep corner ...
I guess they know its a good place to tuck into an expired roadie - yum.

I've also had an owl fly along beside me (well, less than 20yds away), and a kingfisher, by the
Thames at Henley.

A pair of fox cubs saw me approaching up a hill towards them, ran away, then came back for a
second look.

I can also recommend the butterflies in the Alps, of which I get a fantastic view as a fly by at
nearly 5mph on my way up some interminable mountain pass. I've even had them land on my legs while
I'm cycling (do they like salt? wouldn't they prefer fruit? perhaps I should cover myself in jam, in
an attempt to get butterfly assistance during long climbs :-)

Weirdest was a huge snake [--- T H I S B I G ---] that decided to cross the road in front of me as I
was hurtling down a hill in the Sierra Nevada (Southern Spain). In the brief moment available for me
to react, I managed to do ... precisely nothing - other than wonder (very quickly) if the snake
would rear-up defensively, and attempt to bite my ankles. Perhaps I managed to unweight the bike a
little in a feeble baby-bunny-hop, but I felt the poor creature meet my tyres. Slowing down, I
glimpsed behind (to check I wasn't being pursued :-) to see the snake completing its journey across
the road. Hope it was OK. The unexpected adrenalin rush certainly kept me going up the next hill.

Prometheus said:

Black bear in Cape Breton Highlands, Novia Scotia and last but not least.......a real live beaver
in Andover, Massachusetts.

I've never seen a beaver from my bike.