What wildlife do you see on your rides?

[Owlie]

So did I--I know they're starting to move north, but all the way up in Michigan? Wow.

[MomOnBike]

I saw an otter the other day in a stream that runs through town. This surprised me.

[OakLeaf]

I saw a turtle about 4" across sitting in the middle of a pond ... on the back of another turtle maybe 12-14" across. :D

I wish now I'd tried to take a picture, although I didn't really think my phone has high enough resolution to capture it at that distance.

[redrhodie]

I had an egret fly so low over my head the other day, I could almost touch him.

Oh, cute Oak. Piggy back turtles.

[azfiddle]

I'm seeing a lot of (flat) Sonoran toads. The summer monsoon rainstorms get them out and moving to the temporary ponds for breeding. The rain brings out the tarantulas too....but I've only seen dead ones.

Lots of birds are out, nesting again with the summer rains.

[Desert Tortoise]

AZ Fiddle, bird breeding - is that the reason for all the chatter lately? This morning there was so much singing I had to look around to see what was going on but they were happy as can be.

By the way, do you know of a bird that has a bright yellow body with black wings and head. Very striking bird and beautiful singing.

Thanks

[azfiddle]

Size of the bird? 4 inches- Lesser Goldfinch - that is the bird I studied for my master's degree. They mimic the songs of other birds.


If it's bigger, maybe 7 inches- could be a Hooded Oriole

[Desert Tortoise]

Thanks for the names! I was able to look them up and it was definitely not the Lesser Goldfinch, too small and speckled. The Hooded Oriole may have been it. Now I'm on the look out for it again :p

[makbike]

DH and I were treated to a cornucopia of wildlife this weekend as we spent the weekend testing the bass boat we recently purchased. It was an awesome weekend, a respectful catch and release of fish (white bass, small mouth bass, blue gills, sun fish, and a 24" carp that put up a good fight!). We spied a young raccoon swimming the creek we were fishing, a couple of white tail deer, numerous blue herons, ducks, warblers, turtles and a bird of prey which remains a mystery. Mother Nature treated us to a great showing!

[withm]

I saw a great horned owl tonight, perched on a chimney at a house I cycle by several times a week. I have never seen one in the wild, or in the 'hood, before. Pretty cool. I stopped my bike immediately in front of "his house" just to gaze at him, but I guess he did not like that idea, and he flew away.

[RubyTuesday]

I am sure this one has happened before, but I just about got myself a turkey dinner this morning. Poor little turkeys aren't very smart. I came around a corner on the bike trail and he jumped out of the weeds just as I came around the corner. Tom took off running straight down the bike path not knowing which way to go. Good thing one of us was willing to veer. :p

[PamNY]

I saw a great horned owl tonight, perched on a chimney at a house I cycle by several times a week. I have never seen one in the wild, or in the 'hood, before. Pretty cool. I stopped my bike immediately in front of "his house" just to gaze at him, but I guess he did not like that idea, and he flew away.

Wow, a GHO is a thrilling sight. Sorry he didn't hang around for you.

Makbike, you really hit the jackpot with wildlife!

[shootingstar]

We're in the Rocky Mountain area vacationing right now.

While cycling back on a road, I heard piercing whistle and on time, 6 different tiny prairie dogs shot out of their burrows in a ditch and raced over to the other side...5 ft. away. It was remarkable, all on time they scampered out, like a race.

Prairie dog is like tiny gopher and chipmunk hybrid. Very common in our area and in Calgary.

Yesterday while cycling near a lake, there were several groups of bighorn wild sheep with their kid babies feeding. Bighorn are the ones where the males have full curved back horns. Yea, I'll get a photo up soon..

[Owlie]

I had to stop to shoo a black rat snake off the trail. She was sunning herself, and I didn't want her to get hit. A mile or so later, I happened on a family of wild turkeys (I counted mom and two mostly-grown chicks). I've never seen them on the trail before, so that was kind of cool.

[BC2COCyclist]

When I lived in Vancouver, I'd regularly see Skunks...let's just say I SPED UP when I saw one of those. LOL

Now that I live near Denver, I see lots of birds and loads of Prairie Dogs. I love the Dogs...they crack me up!

[azfiddle]

Wednesday I rode at Saguaro NP, just before sunset with the edge of a thunderstorm threatening, but keeping it cloudy and cooler. I ran over Sonoran Whipsnake - just didn't see it in time. I also saw a Black Racer zip off the road and into the desert.

Saturday I rode between Willcox and Chiracahua N. Monument. We saw lots of birds, including Red-Tailed and Swainson's Hawks, Blue Grosbeaks, sky-larking Cassin's Sparrows, Turkey Vultures, Loggerhead Shrikes, and Eastern Meadowlark, among others. We also saw one dead Javalina, a few dead toads, tarantula and what was probably a Mojave Green rattlesnake. I was hoping to see an antelope though.

[azfiddle]

I saw another Sonoran Whipsnake today but fortunately did not run this one over. I stopped to try to get a picture but it slipped off the road and under the bushes.

Other than that, just the usual - a few whiptail lizards, Gila Woodpeckers, Mourning and White-winged Doves, Phainopeplas, Curve-billed Thrashers....

Not on a bike ride, but after supervising the 7th grade movie night at my school, I spotted a Hog-Nosed Skunk rambling about on the school grounds. Though there is a wash nearby, and we're not too far from some open desert, the school is surrounded by suburban housing and I was quite surprised to see it there! Other recent wildlife at the school: a pair of Roadrunners and a tarantula which I kept in my classroom for a week. (It got out, but I found it last night and let it back out).

[bmccasland]

Saw a hawk hunkered down on the ground right next to the Green River trail where I was riding today. She/he was laying flat, wings partially out, but her head was up and watching me. I've seen hawks do this when they're trying to hide a fresh kill. I was rolling along at a nice clip, when the brain registered, Hawk! I passed her before I could think to stop and try to get a photo with my cell phone. But I didn't want to scare her off either. She was gone when I passed the same spot on the return trip.

[withm]

Well I didn't actually see this, but I did see an owl in the last few weeks in the wild, so consider this a follow up.

This is a video of an owl coming in for a landing.

In. Slow. Motion.

Truly amazing. Enjoy.

http://www.dogwork.com/owfo8/

[PamNY]

Wow! Great owl video. Thanks.

[gasew7]

Well I saw a yellow jacket INSIDE my jersey after he stung me under my arm. OUCH!!! He got inside my jersey during a ride Sat morning and decided to sting me after I was finished.

[azfiddle]

That's not the wildlife we want!

I did a short ride to park tonight in hopes of seeing some interesting birds, but a bunch of Mallards, a couple American Coots and one American Wigeon were all I saw. All pretty mundane.

[Owlie]

Well I saw a yellow jacket INSIDE my jersey after he stung me under my arm. OUCH!!! He got inside my jersey during a ride Sat morning and decided to sting me after I was finished.

Maybe it wanted a longer ride? :D

Lots of herons and a flock of geese on my last ride. The geese wanted to hang out in the middle of the trail...

[Blossom]

Hi, y'all! This is my first visit to this wonderful forum, and I have already learned a lot. About a month ago, I took my new Specialized Ariel Comp out for its first romp on our local Greenway. It was starting to get late when I realized I had been going around in circles for a while and was good and lost. I resolved to keep the sun on my left, no matter what, and eventually found my way back onto the main trail. Just as I was picking up the pace again, a huge gator came charging out of the weeds, stopped in the middle of the trail, hissed at me, and then crashed into the creek on the other side. He was at least 8 feet long, though he looked even bigger. The scary part is, I think I scared him more than he did me! :eek:

[PamNY]

The widowed mother hawk that I watch has started "dating." We are having a wonderful time watching her interactions with a very young male hawk (you can tell he's young by eye color).

The courtship started with brief visits to the nest last week; now they are both actively bringing sticks to the nest. Last night they were flying lazy circles together.

I don't know if this will turn out to be Mr. Right -- too early to say. But we are thrilled that she's staying in the territory so far.

[Aggie_Ama]

I saw a fox mountain biking Saturday, no photos I just admired the little guy. Actually it was full grown, a little startled. It was really cool, though. Also saw some sheep and black angus but those are expected because it is a ranch. Saw a roadrunner on the trail Sunday, my favorite bird. :)

[withm]

We rode at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge on Sunday. It's sort of cheating to reply here with the critter count, but this is what we saw:

3 bald eagles
10 turtles
1 nutria
1 fox
2 deer
lots of great blue herons
lots of egrets
lots of ducks
a gajillion geese - Canada & snow geese
1 cat
1 grasshopper

And we heard osprey but couldn't find them.

[HillSlugger]

I saw a nice garter snake on Sunday.

[Desert Tortoise]

Yesterday morning (Monday) I saw a huge owl perched on a powerline. He even hung around for awhile after I stopped to watch him. He screeched at something in the distance, looked at me, looked back to the same place, screeched some more, hung out for a bit longer and then flew across the street to some trees where.....another owl came flying down towards the first.

This was incredible!! This all happened close to 6 am, which seems late by owl standards. Around here they seem to come out late at night or in the very early hours of the morning. I've only gotten glimpses of them at night and hear them more often. Sometimes on my house's roof. This is the first year I have heard two of them up there hooting away. I wonder if the two I saw in the morning are the same that like to hang out in my neighborhood? I was only 2 miles from my house.

This was a treat!!

[PamNY]

What a great day at Blackwater! Owls sound like a treat, too -- do you know what kind?

Garter snakes -- gosh I haven't seen one in years, being a city person now.

[7rider]

Deer are active in the park through which I ride to/from work this time of year, being mating seaon. The bucks will chase does across the street without regards for anything around them. I frequently see small herds running near the edge of the street.

Unfortunately, this season also brings out the Gawker - usually little old ladies in Subarus who gaze upon this natural wonder before them, and allow their cars to drift across the lane into the shoulder where yours truely is biking. (Okay..."little old ladies in Subaru's" is a generality, but it was an actual occurence yesterday).

Strangely, drivers are willing to patiently slow down for deer in the street (and disinclined to lay on their horn), but not always so willing to show the same courtesy for cyclists. Maybe I should put antlers on my helmet and hang a white furry tail from my rear rack! :rolleyes:;)

[Desert Tortoise]

PamNY, I know nothing about types of birds and such but I did a quick search on the Arizona Desert Museum's site (I'm just outside of Tucson) and figure it was the great horned owl. Even in the low light of the early morning I could see it was easily over 1 ft tall and there was no missing the huge ear tufts.

[azfiddle]

Yes, Great Horned Owl. There are some other owls in our area, but none so large.

Desert Tortoise, if you ever ride the Aviation bikeway near Craycroft (where it is on the south side of the street) you can see burrowing owls in a hole- they are diurnal. The rest of our owls are smaller and definitely less visible- screech (year round), elf (summer only) are both in saguaro areas and oak-sycamore areas at higher elevations. Sometimes there are Long-Eared Owls up at Catalina State Park in the winter.

[Desert Tortoise]

Thanks, Fiddle! Now that I'm biking more consistantly, I hope to venture out again and do more than my little weekday 1 hour rides.

I love Catalina State Park. You can bike through there? I've only done walk/run for a fundraising/training program.

[azfiddle]

I saw a mountain lion today!!! How cool is that?

I was riding up to Saguaro National Park, and about 1/4 mile from the entrance. The area is a neighborhood of low density housing with a lot of desert vegetation. The lion walked across the road as I was riding toward it, stepped into the desert brush and stopped 30-40 feet off the road. It turned and looked at me as I passed.

I was so excited, it gave me an extra burst of energy for that last 1/4 mile.

I was a field biologist before I was a teacher, and I have spent countless hours in appropriate habitats birding and working as a biologist, and though I've seen tracks I've never seen a lion.

[Desert Tortoise]

Mountain lion!!:eek::eek: Was this at the East SNP? How big was it?

Um, if I had seen one I would get a burst of energy too. To get away fast! Maybe that's my hiking experiences in some lion attack areas. Guess on a bike it's different. You look bigger and can move faster.

They sure are beautiful, glad you got to see one safely!:)

[azfiddle]

Desert Tortoise- I was not scared- I was truly excited. It was near SNP east- about 1/4 mile northwest of the entrance. To be honest, it took some time to register that it was actually a lion. One part of my brain said "cat", one said "dog", because it was big. Then I saw the long tail. I've seen bobcats many times and they are much smaller, but I thought the mountain lion would look bigger. It looked like a medium-large dog, but shorter legged and lower to the ground.

BTW- you can ride up to Catalina State Park, and there is a paved road through part of the park, but of course there are a lot of hiking trails there. That's where I got married- 27 years ago!

[PamNY]

Oh, mountain lion. That's exciting. I'm glad you were excited instead of scared.

[PamNY]

A juvenile hawk spent several hours delighting watchers in Riverside Park. Not sure if he's local, but totally sure he is beautiful.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8867349@N08/sets/72157628093617030/with/6329798553/

[shelley marenka]

What animals do I see when I ride???

The Sierra Foothills offer the most beautiful riding terrain in Northern California! We have so much here to take in on a local country ride...

Beautiful hawks sit on fence posts taking in the sunshine, while other small birds fly alongside me as if they are racing!

California cows are happy munching on the hillsides with their small calf's, and
herds of horses are everywhere!

Egrets and Blue Herons surround the small ponds and lakes.....
and then there are those mini reptiles...that I try to avoid...

Blessings on your next ride!
Join me here in the foothills and I'll take you on a lovely tour!

[spokewench]

Thanks, Fiddle! Now that I'm biking more consistantly, I hope to venture out again and do more than my little weekday 1 hour rides.

I love Catalina State Park. You can bike through there? I've only done walk/run for a fundraising/training program.

Catalina Park is not really a fun place to ride a mountain bike; but it can be done if you like to walk a lot or you are like a trials rider.

[Desert Tortoise]

This morning I saw one of those very common large black birds, I think it's called Great-tailed Grackle. Its large and has that very shiny, iridescent black plumage.

Seeing the bird was no biggy but seeing it carrying a little bird in it's claws, land on a power pole and start breakfast was unusual. At first I slowed down to stop and watch but then little downy feathers started falling towards me so I sped up to avoid them and watched upwind from the bird.

The funny part of all this is it was one power pole from where I saw the owls a month ago.

[azfiddle]

Yes - Great Tailed Grackle would be right. It's surprising and somewhat macabre sometimes, what some birds will eat. Big flycatchers have been known to take hummingirds at feeders...

[missjean]

This is from a number of years ago. He was small, but he was ready to put up a big fight!

[HillSlugger]

This is from a number of years ago. He was small, but he was ready to put up a big fight!

Crawfish?

[missjean]

Crawfish?

Yes.

[PamNY]

The funny part of all this is it was one power pole from where I saw the owls a month ago.

You've clearly found an important patch of power poles. Interesting (if slightly unpleasant) thing to see.

[Desert Tortoise]

Yes, I think I have found a good patch. And the funny thing is it happens near the top of the hour. The owls were at 5:55am and the grackle was at 8:55 am.

I know it sounds gruesome, one bird eating another but around here it is commonplace to see animals with other animals in their mouths so it doesn't bother me too much. Roadrunners with lizards dangling from their beaks or hawks carrying something furry. The most fantastic of those was years ago when I first moved out here(and it was much more rural) was a hawk carrying a live snake in the air. The snake was actually moving in the claws. I was driving in my car and actually stopped in mid road to watch for the few seconds he was in my sight. Can't do that today, too many cars now.

[Catrin]

Awesome ride today! The best part of my ride was riding very slowly through a herd of young deer - there were 8 of them that were lining the bike path I was riding on to a park close to me - the only thing I can think of was there must have been something tasty there!. They just froze and watched me - they seemed ok with me on the bike, thought it might spook them if I stopped so I just kept moving as slowly as I possible could. How often does that happen? Priceless, for sure.

That park does have a large deer population, and this year in particular they have seemed to become quite used to cyclists as they haven't seemed as skittish as they once were. Personally I wish they were more skittish, I figure that increases the chances of their getting hit by a car...

[PamNY]

Catrin, the deer sound wonderful. I agree with you they might be safer if they were more skittish.

I got very lucky with a kestrel today -- just sat and posed for me.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8867349@N08/sets/72157628394133249/with/6501892455/

[7rider]

I got very lucky with a kestrel today -- just sat and posed for me.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8867349@N08/sets/72157628394133249/with/6501892455/

What a beauty! :D

I was riding up a MUT in the dark tonight, coming home from work. I have a new light on my helmet (http://www.bikelights.com/vis360.html) that allows me to put a bright beam where I look. I heard a noise off my right shoulder and I glanced over (hoping the noise wasn't a couple of punk kids from the nearby apartment building, which I've had to deal with a few times before). My light illuminated 3 deer, just feet off the trail, walking - not running - away from me. Cool to see 'em. Cool to have the light to do that.

[PamNY]

Saw a bald eagle today! It's not unusual for them to show up in NYC, but I'd never been lucky enough to spot an adult. I had my favorite redtail hawk in sight when the eagle soared overhead.

And I'd just seen the kestrel on my ride up the river, so it was a good bird day.

[azfiddle]

Nice! I love eagles. I saw a Prairie Falcon about a week ago, and Cooper's Hawks on every ride lately.

[meganm]

I drove the route of the Moab Century the day before I rode it in 2006 and saw a mountain lion (at least I think it was one). I'm really glad that I didn't see it from the bike!!!

[goldfinch]

Today I saw a bobcat, armadillo, two coyotes and four javelinas. Good day for wildlife.

[salsabike]

Today I saw a bobcat, armadillo, two coyotes and four javelinas. Good day for wildlife.

Wow! Fabulous.

[lph]

We have a wolf! In our backyard woods! Not that I'm ever going to get a chance to see him, and he probably has wandered way off by now, but I figured this might be the most wildlife-friendly thread to post this in. I'm so thrilled :D

The circumstances were a bit sad, though. An elderly local guy was out walking his dog, and his also elderly Norwegian Elk dog roamed off like she often did. She didn't come back, and by the time he found her quite a bit later she'd been killed, with obvious bite marks and tracks from a wolf. The owner was very calm about the whole thing. He's pro-wolf (this is a big debate in the rural areas designated as wolf protection areas, where many sheep farmers live too), and said something like "well, it's sad to lose my good friend, but she was old, she died quickly, and I don't have to watch her decline gradually". And he's going to bury her on the spot. Which is 700 yards from where we live, and 500 yards from my son's old kindergarten.

[Biciclista]

wow, Javalinas!! wolves! LPH, there are far worst ways to go. I'm glad the man was ok with it.

[jobob]

And he's going to bury her on the spot. Which is 700 yards from where we live, and 500 yards from my son's old kindergarten.

:eek: wow.

And I totally understand the gentleman's sentiments, it's so sad to see a beloved animal go into decline.

[PamNY]

Interesting story about the wolf, and the dog owner's attitude. I can see why wolves are controversial.

[PamNY]

We've recently lost four red tail hawks in Manhattan. One of them was the female in Riverside Park. I'm not sure, but I think she had just laid an egg when she was found dead beneath the nest tree.

Riverside Mom (http://www.flickr.com/photos/8867349@N08/6787302020/in/photostream) was beautiful, smart, brave and tough. I will always be grateful for the chance to see her life so closely.

Here's a news story about her:

http://www.dnainfo.com/20120312/upper-west-side/beloved-female-hawk-found-dead-riverside-park

The cause of the four deaths won't be known until necropsy results are in, but since rat poison is used in the area, secondary poisoning is suspected.

[azfiddle]

Nice view of a Roadrunner, Red-tailed Hawk, Vermilion Flycatcher and loads of Phainopeplas the last few days.
I have been persuaded to participate in the Tucson Audubon Society's "birdathon" next month and we plan to do it all on bikes: riding up Mount Lemmon. We're calling if the Birdathlon- stay tuned!

[emily_in_nc]

Nice view of a Roadrunner, Red-tailed Hawk, Vermilion Flycatcher and loads of Phainopeplas the last few days.
I have been persuaded to participate in the Tucson Audubon Society's "birdathon" next month and we plan to do it all on bikes: riding up Mount Lemmon. We're calling if the Birdathlon- stay tuned!

That sounds super cool, azfiddle! Hope you get to see a lot of birds. I want to see a Vermilion Flycatcher, which supposedly are here in Belize as well.

[azfiddle]

I've been to Guatemala, not far from Belize and the birding there is really incredible. I spent a day or two at Tikal. You should be able to see Vermilions and many cool birds.

[emily_in_nc]

I've been to Guatemala, not far from Belize and the birding there is really incredible. I spent a day or two at Tikal. You should be able to see Vermilions and many cool birds.

We have seen a LOT of new birds since moving to Belize in August. We are heading to western Belize (San Ignacio) soon and should see a different set of birds than we typically see out on Ambergris Caye (coastal island) as well. Can't wait!

[PamNY]

We're calling if the Birdathlon- stay tuned!

"Birdathlon" is great. Would love to hear about it.

[PamNY]

I got to see this monk parakeet enjoying some slimy green stuff for lunch:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8867349@N08/7059036077/in/photostream/

Wish I'd done a video -- it was funny watching as green stuff very slowly disappeared into his beak.

[azfiddle]

Seeing loads of great wildlife this week!

Thursday: 4 Desert Spiny Lizards, and a very large Regal Horned Lizard, lots of Earless Lizards, Western Whiptails and today: A Gila Monster! Saguaro NP is just amazing. In addition to the lizards, there were 2 javalinas resting outside the visitor center window. Birds this week included Harris' Hawk, Swainson's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, all the common desert species, a migrant Western Tanager, Black-Crowned Night Heron and Spotted Sandpiper at an urban park lake.

[Catrin]

I saw a 'possum the other day on my ride - in the middle of the day. I thought they were nocturnal animals? Perhaps something disturbed it.

[OakLeaf]

This time of year a lot of nocturnal moms come out earlier in the day because they're extra hungry from pregnancy or lactation.

There's been a skunk rooting around in our backyard every afternoon but one for the past week. I have a feeling we might be seeing baby skunks in about six weeks. :D

Had to fence in my tomato plants though, she liked the earthworms that were under the mulch. :mad: :p

[Catrin]

I hadn't thought of that Oak, thanks. Then I thought I saw a raccoon a couple of days later - it IS that time of the year.

[PamNY]

Azfiddle, you see the coolest animals and birds!

Catrin, there is something poignant about possums. I saw them a lot growing up.

Today I saw a fairly typical assortment of migrating warblers, and some barn swallows putting on a lovely show.

[salsabike]

I love this thread.

Still in the duckling phase here; they're all over the place. Bald eagles also. I miss the winter birds but I made smoochy noises today when I saw Mt. Rainier very much "out", so there are definitely compensations. :)

[Hartmame]

I like this topic. I mostly ride the local rail trail and when I get out 12-15 miles I start seeing more unusual things. Mostly I look for deer but lately I've seen wild Turkey and a Herron, a wood pecker, lots of chipmunks, a snake and cardinals and bluejays.

[PamNY]

I miss the winter birds but I made smoochy noises today when I saw Mt. Rainier very much "out", so there are definitely compensations. :)

Ummm...out? Out of what?

[salsabike]

Ummm...out? Out of what?

The clouds. That's the local phrase, as in "The mountain is out today.". There's a joke about how you can tell someone is a Seattleite if she can point to three different volcanoes without actually being able to see them through the cloud cover. Although summer here is actually really spectacular, clear and dry and sunny sometimes for weeks and weeks.

[OakLeaf]

The trouble with this thread is that cycling is where I see the least amount of wildlife! I'm more likely to see critters when I'm moving at running speed ... or just staying home.

[DebW]

Saw a big snapping turtle yesterday (at least a foot across the carapace) beside the bike path on my way to work when crossing a wetland.

[Owlie]

The trouble with this thread is that cycling is where I see the least amount of wildlife! I'm more likely to see critters when I'm moving at running speed ... or just staying home.

What a lovely woodpecker! Back when our area was less developed, we'd occasionally see them in the trees or checking out the wood pile next to the driveway. :)

Rabbits, mostly. A red-tailed hawk, numerous red-winged blackbirds, and a couple snapping turtles. Oh, and geese.

[redrhodie]

I helped a baby snapping turtle cross the road today. I think it was an alligator turtle, but I looked them up and this is not their range. It definitely looked like one to me. It was all spiky.

[PamNY]

The clouds. That's the local phrase, as in "The mountain is out today.". There's a joke about how you can tell someone is a Seattleite if she can point to three different volcanoes without actually being able to see them through the cloud cover. Although summer here is actually really spectacular, clear and dry and sunny sometimes for weeks and weeks.

Ah, thanks. That makes sense.

Oak, great woodpecker photo.

Red, glad you rescued the snapper. I recently saw a mama snapper getting ready to lay eggs.

[malkin]

Ummm...out? Out of what?

Proudly waving a rainbow flag!

[goldfinch]

Saw a bobcat yesterday. Slight possibility it was a Canadian Lynx, the coloring and size fit with Lynx but the odds are with the bobcat.

[Desert Tortoise]

This morning saw a roadrunner with a juicy lizard hanging from its mouth. Watched him for a while (I was waiting for the cars to pass so I could turn left.) He looked so happy with his catch. :D

[Sky King]

We often see badgers but had to share this photo from our Owyhee Uplands trips. At the sighting, 4 of us were riding together, crossing a cattle guard, I was right behind someone on a fat bike and as I cross I hear the distinct rattle! So of course we have to stop and check it out. I wrote a huge "SNAKE" with an arrow to let riders behind us know. As we all filtered into camp that afternoon my DH says "snake?" I thought it said "snack" :)

[PamNY]

We often see badgers but had to share this photo from our Owyhee Uplands trips. At the sighting, 4 of us were riding together, crossing a cattle guard, I was right behind someone on a fat bike and as I cross I hear the distinct rattle! So of course we have to stop and check it out. I wrote a huge "SNAKE" with an arrow to let riders behind us know. As we all filtered into camp that afternoon my DH says "snake?" I thought it said "snack" :)

Wow, that's a great photo. Did your husband find a snack?:D

Desert, the roadrunner with his lizard meal must have been a funny sight.

[Desert Tortoise]

Got to see a family of baby quail crossing the road today. The babies (about 10) were no longer covered in down but were still very small. Usually around this time of year they are not so tiny. Or maybe its just the ones in my neighborhood.

They were so cute running across the road almost single file then scattering in the brush.

The next family I saw was definitely bigger. The "little ones" looked just a little smaller than the adults and they too behaved a little scattered like the babies.

[Artista]

We encountered this cranky fella on trail this morning. People were trapped on either side of this guy and no one could safely pass.

It was a good thing that someone else saw him and stopped, which alerted my husband that something was up so he also stopped. I never would have seen him while I was riding. I was alerted to his presence while still many yards away, stopped about 20 ft. from him, and still had trouble distinguishing him from the rocks for a few seconds.

After unsuccessfully trying to shoo him off the trail by tossing rocks and sticks near him, two riders managed to nudge him off the trail by pushing their bikes beside him. He protested with a few strikes at tires but finally relented and moved on.

[Desert Tortoise]

Artista, that rattler looked beefy! It's good he was spotted at a distance, they are nothing to mess with. (I've had a few close encounters with them.)

On the trails we've used our bottles to squirt water at the rattler. He didn't like it and made it well known but it did keep us at a safe distance. BUT, we did make sure we had enough water to do this. Don't want to run out of water on a hot, open trail.

Nice pic!

[Artista]

Good hint about the water, DT. Fortunately, this rattler was much more scared than aggressive. The snake struck at, (but didn't hit), the rider who was stopped when my husband encountered him. After that, the snake remained coiled and kept rattling but didn't even strike at the rocks or sticks tossed near him. He didn't start striking again until a couple of riders used their bikes to get him off the trail. We would have left the snake alone if not for the concern that unsuspecting hikers/runners could stumble upon him and get bitten. Unsuspecting cyclists would probably have been safer as a snake is more likely to strike at the bike than a body part. Hikers/runners may not have been so lucky.

Next time, (if there IS a next time), I'll get my water bottle out right away just in case.

[solobiker]

We encountered this cranky fella on trail this morning. People were trapped on either side of this guy and no one could safely pass.

It was a good thing that someone else saw him and stopped, which alerted my husband that something was up so he also stopped. I never would have seen him while I was riding. I was alerted to his presence while still many yards away, stopped about 20 ft. from him, and still had trouble distinguishing him from the rocks for a few seconds.

After unsuccessfully trying to shoo him off the trail by tossing rocks and sticks near him, two riders managed to nudge him off the trail by pushing their bikes beside him. He protested with a few strikes at tires but finally relented and moved on.



Yikes!! I should probably warn you...I am a snake magnet. I am not fond of snakes and I think that they know that because I seem to find them a lot when DH and I are out either hiking, biking, climbing..etc. I hope when we meet up to ride we don't run into one.:o

[Artista]

Yikes!! I should probably warn you...I am a snake magnet. I am not fond of snakes and I think that they know that because I seem to find them a lot when DH and I are out either hiking, biking, climbing..etc. I hope when we meet up to ride we don't run into one.:o
Hmmm...you wanna lead on our ride;)

[solobiker]

Hmmmmmm, thanks....I think I will pass. I better get back out on my bike..have not ridden in a few weeks. :) We have been too busy with hiking and next week we hope to take the kayaks out.:D

[Artista]

Hmmmmmm, thanks....I think I will pass. I better get back out on my bike..have not ridden in a few weeks. :) We have been too busy with hiking and next week we hope to take the kayaks out.:D
Alright, I'll take one for the team;)

[goldfinch]

Day before yesterday we say a mink chase a rabbit. We moved many turtles off the middle of the road.

Today a good size snapping turtle was on the road, we left him alone.

[PamNY]

Baby barn swallows! The nests are underneath a pier, so I can't get adorable four-baby-gapes-in-a-row photos, but I had some fun after they fledged:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8867349@N08/sets/72157630322730678/

[Desert Tortoise]

Little bunnies are nothing new around here, there seems to be an explosion of them. But today was funny. There was a little junior size bunny trying to pull out a tender root from the dirt. He pulled and tugged, I've never seen a rabbit work so hard! He was still at it by the time I passed him.

The other thing is not what wildlife I saw but the results of what was out there. The cattle have been busy on the road. They turned the bike lane into an obstacle course with their cow patties.:eek:

[HillSlugger]

On Sunday I saw a wild turkey!

[sashadieken]

My friend and I went kayaking for the first time and saw a cow/calf moose pair!

[salsabike]

Baby barn swallows! The nests are underneath a pier, so I can't get adorable four-baby-gapes-in-a-row photos, but I had some fun after they fledged:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8867349@N08/sets/72157630322730678/

Those are wonderful!

[tulip]

Yesterday: osprey.

[azfiddle]

Yesterday I saw 1 coyote and a few birds along the way, including a singing male Pyrrhuloxia. Last year at this time I remember seeing many Sonoran Toads and Tarantulas ( mostly flat ones) but it was on a different route. The summer rains have re- invigorated the desert birds do a lot of species are singing both morning and evening when I ride.

[lovelygamer]

Yesterday, I saw two finely sculpted deer and two hawks. I tried to get pictures but they didn't come out. All of them were so beautiful.

[Megustalaplaya]

Saturday I saw cows and yesterday I saw a young deer. I also saw a lizard that I unfortunately ran over when it changed directions and ran right into my path. :(

[azfiddle]

We did a sunset- moonrise ride at Saguaro N. Park, and spotted Lesser Nighthawks, a Desert Spiny Lizard, a singing Black-throated Sparrow, several cottontail rabbits, a tarantula, 4 Poorwills (1 on the road and 3 singing) ... a Tiger Rattlesnake. Fortunately, it was off to the side of the road.

[Eden]

I saw a waxwing today - they are not particularly common around here, I don't think... at least I don't see them often. Then again we seem to have a veritable bird boom around here - lots more birds and more variety than when I first moved here.

[PamNY]

Azfiddle, those are great sights. Waxwings are beautiful birds.

I found out there's a nesting tern colony in Manhattan -- on Governors Island.
The sassy, noisy youngsters are lots of fun to watch.

[TrekDianna]

1 coyote, 2 garter snakes, 1 gopher snake and 1 deer freshly killed by a cougar -- that one made me nervous. It's on my regular nightly after work mountain bike route.

[Deborah Y]

Wild mink.

[thekarens]

This weekend we saw: roseate spoonbills, great egrets, snowy egrets, great blue herons, green herons, white ibis, turkey and black vultures, american crows, red-bellied, red-headed and pileated woodpeckers, blue birds, robins and 8 deer. I have to say at times we probably looked like drunk riders in the park. It's hard for us to not look at birds while we ride. Thankfully the park was mostly deserted.

There was also a dumped german shepherd that we tried to catch. She just wasn't having any of it. We sat on the ground for awhile and tried to lure her in, but no go. My partner went back to the park later and she was still there and she still couldn't catch her :(

[azfiddle]

I generally have to stop to really look at birds while I'm cycling, but I'm good with calls/songs. Generally it's easiest to see and hear them going uphill....

[thekarens]

I generally have to stop to really look at birds while I'm cycling, but I'm good with calls/songs. Generally it's easiest to see and hear
them going uphill....

I suck at birding by ear. I know a handful of songs/calls, the ones I hear the most, like a cardinal or chickadee, but that's about it. Since we're on MTB that are in a very relaxed position it's easy to look around, but probably not a good idea :)

[mumbles]

Fortunately I don't see these guys very often. 15347

[azfiddle]

Okay, I admit it: I'm happy we don't see those on my rides. I'm happy to see most wildlife, even rattlesnakes (as long as I see them in advance). But I don't want to have to worry about getting past one of those guys....

[Triacy]

Great topic! Out here in AZ you see all kinds of wildlife on my ride. I really need to take a camera with me. I saw a huge hairy tarantula in the middle of the road (while out running at 4 a.m. too), rattlesnakes, coyotes, scorpions, ground squirrels, javelina, and one day riding out a Bartlett Lake a Mountain Lion popped out on the road 100 feet in front of me! My first thoughts where (with sweat in my eyes so hard to see) "what in the hell is a golden retriever doing out here in the desert." But, my brain registered "that's too big to be a dog and it's not a coyote!" It started coming toward me and I kept going forward and the mountain lion stopped and ran across the road. This is when I saw it's long body and tail! Wow! That was real neat!

[Raindrop]

Last Thursday on my ride I came upon a group (about 5-6) of black birds tearing a a road-kill, when I got about 15 feet from them, all of a sudden a hawk comes out of nowhere and grabbed one of the blackbirds. All the paniced wing-flapping and "cawing" scared the beejeezus out of me!!!

[Swan]

I've seen quite a lot of wildlife as I live in a largely underdeveloped rural village... but today was certainly the strangest! I went biking today with two people from the neighbourhood (a cute story in itself) when a dog, followed by three deer, followed by a duck crossed the road. It was the oddest and most amusing thing I'd ever seen, and it had all three of us in stitches. :p

[Owlie]

I've seen quite a lot of wildlife as I live in a largely underdeveloped rural village... but today was certainly the strangest! I went biking today with two people from the neighbourhood (a cute story in itself) when a dog, followed by three deer, followed by a duck crossed the road. It was the oddest and most amusing thing I'd ever seen, and it had all three of us in stitches. :p

Sounds like the beginning of a joke!

[Swan]

Sounds like the beginning of a joke!

It really does! That was my first thought, but it's absolutely true. It was certainly strange and interesting... Usually we just get escaped cattle or horses and regular deer blocking the roads.

[PamNY]

It really does! That was my first thought, but it's absolutely true. It was certainly strange and interesting... Usually we just get escaped cattle or horses and regular deer blocking the roads.

It does sound interesting (and it does sound like a good start to a joke).

[azfiddle]

Had a great look at a bobcat on my ride Saturday morning, running across the road and disappearing into the brush immediately.

[salsabike]

I've seen quite a lot of wildlife as I live in a largely underdeveloped rural village... but today was certainly the strangest! I went biking today with two people from the neighbourhood (a cute story in itself) when a dog, followed by three deer, followed by a duck crossed the road. It was the oddest and most amusing thing I'd ever seen, and it had all three of us in stitches. :p

Love this!

[Biciclista]

there was a duck that went into a bar....

[malkin]

I've seen quite a lot of wildlife as I live in a largely underdeveloped rural village... but today was certainly the strangest! I went biking today with two people from the neighbourhood (a cute story in itself) when a dog, followed by three deer, followed by a duck crossed the road. It was the oddest and most amusing thing I'd ever seen, and it had all three of us in stitches. :p

It sounds like the sky is falling and they are on their way to tell the king.

[azfiddle]

Did a long ride (83 miles) but wildlife sightings were few and far between. I saw about half a dozen Red-tailed Hawks, a lot of Common Ravens (near the dump!), Phainopepla, Mockingbird, Gila Woodpecker, Verdin, White-crowned Sparrows, Curve-billed Thrashers, Rock Doves, American Kestrel, Mourning Doves. No mammals or herps today.

[PamNY]

The male American Kestrel I've been watching for a while appears to have a lady friend (http://www.flickr.com/photos/8867349@N08/8231077146/). They were interacting and sitting close together for quite a while -- I was thrilled to get such a close view of these beautiful birds.

[salsabike]

Beautiful, Pam! What wonderful luck.

[thekarens]

The male American Kestrel I've been watching for a while appears to have a lady friend (http://www.flickr.com/photos/8867349@N08/8231077146/). They were interacting and sitting close together for quite a while -- I was thrilled to get such a close view of these beautiful birds.

Fantastic shot!

[goldfinch]

The male American Kestrel I've been watching for a while appears to have a lady friend (http://www.flickr.com/photos/8867349@N08/8231077146/). They were interacting and sitting close together for quite a while -- I was thrilled to get such a close view of these beautiful birds.

Nice pictures of the Kestrels!

[goldfinch]

Good biking morning at Fort deSoto County park in Florida. A wood stork flew overhead. This is my first wood stork so I am thrilled.

[goldfinch]

In Clearwater, Florida, right off the trail:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-7I8JhxyMZhk/UOBu9l7q_0I/AAAAAAAAdNI/INA6T_h3Li0/s512/DSC_0097.JPG Tri-color heron

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-x3mnKyL4rIw/UPhShRzTXLI/AAAAAAAAdP0/D73oQzrBnRY/s512/DSC_0140.JPG Hooded merganser

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_tcrYQT-s_I/UPhTH0c_A-I/AAAAAAAAdQM/_7kFVehoVCM/s512/DSC_0163.JPG Limpkin and moorhens

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vT2yBf-Kmok/UOBu7YVhb-I/AAAAAAAAdMg/UjatKUWMW4g/s720/DSC_0225.JPG Woodstork

[salsabike]

Goldfinch! You are so lucky. I visited Wakodahatchee Wetlands once and was blown away by all those birds you saw, and many more. Fabulous!

[emily_in_nc]

How pretty, Goldfinch! We see some of the same birds down here in Belize.

[azfiddle]

Goldfinch, those are just gorgeous photos!

[PamNY]

Goldfinch, those are fabulous photos! By the way, I saw a goldfinch yesterday...

[tulip]

Two red-tailed (I think) hawks chasing a bald eagle and making a ruckus.

[TrekDianna]

I saw this little cutie just as I was turning the onto my dirt road 15928

[PamNY]

Saw this chickadee with a cigarette butt (http://www.flickr.com/photos/8867349@N08/8570067992/in/photostream/) yesterday.

After I posted it on Flickr, a friend reminded me of these photos taken by one of my favorite bird photographers in Central Park:

http://thebethlenz.blogspot.com/2013/01/holy-smokes.html

A Google search turned up this article (http://news.yahoo.com/smoke-chickadees-mother-birds-line-nests-parasite-repelling-165918782.html) about birds using cigarette materials as insect-repelling nest lining.

I sent my photo and hers to the researcher quoted in the article.

[Aggie_Ama]

I saw this jackrabbit when I was riding two weekends ago. He crossed the road and encountered a fence then sat for awhile to ponder where to go. They're really fun to watch move. On the same ride I saw wild turkeys and a road runner but they weren't up for a photo shoot.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y258/AggieAma/527791_457119784361977_1959703667_n.jpg

[missjean]

As seen on a local rail trail - an Eastern Water snake trying to suck some warmth out of the asphalt. We almost ran it over, so I got a long stick and pushed if off onto the grass.
They are not poisonous, but it was quite aggressive, coiling up & striking at the stick.
16128

[azfiddle]

The wildlife thread got buried!
Today I saw a Red-tailed hawk soaring at 8000 feet above Mt. Lemmon. It dropped whatever was in its talons and recovered it in mid-air almost immediately. Very impressive. I enjoyed hearing a Northern Pygmy Owl calling in the same area as I rode by. Other wildlife today... Sadly, there quite a few species dead on the road: Tiger Rattlesnake, Hog-nosed Skunk, Desert Cottontail, Abert's Squirrel, Rock Squirrel. Live species: Botta's Pocket Gopher, Rock Squirrel, and saw or heard a handful of other birds: Turkey Vulture, Common Raven, Steller's Jay, Mexican Jay, Bell's Vireo, Canyon Wren, Bridled Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Yellow-Eyed Junco and maybe a few more. It's harder to see/hear birds on the bike, even though I know them well by song/call

[Catrin]

Dredging up this long-slumbering thread to share a picture of some rather unexpected animals seen on the way home from last weekends hiking trip to southern Indiana. Pity I couldn't get a better frontal shot :D

18104

[emily_in_nc]

Camels, wow! We saw llamas and vicunas in eastern Washington (there were a couple of farms on our frequent routes), but never a camel!

[Catrin]

We also have a local farm with reindeer, but not in the same area as the camels.

[Aromig]

Cool Catrin! Were you hiking at Yellowwood? (I see Camels on the way to there, so wondered if we were in the same place :-))

[Catrin]

Cool Catrin! Were you hiking at Yellowwood? (I see Camels on the way to there, so wondered if we were in the same place :-))
I don't know what route you take to Yellowwood, but this was on a north/south route back to Indy from Brown County State Park in central Johnson County. There was a sale sign for this farm, they also had horses.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

[Aromig]

We must have lots of camels in Indiana! I see at least one on SR 46 between Nashville and Bloomington! I'm seeing a lot more llamas on my bike routes too, but I've only seen a camel in the one place. I bike through Johnson County quite a lot -- I'm going to keep an eye out for these too.

[kajero]

I know you are suppose to share the trail, but I decided the snapping turtle could have the trail all to himself!
18107

There was a fawn, too, but I just couldn't find her/him. The Momma did pose for me though.
18106

Both photos were taken with my cheap little point and shoot that's been dropped a few times so I apologize for quality.

[emily_in_nc]

Good choice on the Snapping Turtle! :eek: