Wildlife on the commute...

[JmcG]

I see a deer family every morning on my commute by Georgetown on the trail. They're very calm and usually if they move, it's not until you're almost near them. I also see canadian geese, lizards (skinks?), sometimes black snakes in the spring when they're trying to get warm, squirrels, a tortoise once that I stopped for and moved off the trail, blue heron - I think they're my favorite birds - they're so graceful, homeless people sleeping along the trail........

[crazycanuck]

I often hear frogs along the roe highway bike path and often wonder if it's a person as it sounds similar!

On the swan river bike path I often see pelicans (don't watch the pelicans, watch the bike path..reminder to self.. ), shags, dolphins, swans & fantails.

Along Mounts Bay Road I encounter suicidal wild lorikeets, geese and gallahs...
C

[java]

Yesterday I saw several salmon leaping in the Sammamish Slough as they made their way upriver to spawn at the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery.

[light_sabe_r]

Glad someone restarted this thread!

Since it's spring here we're dealing with suicidal noisy miners. >_< BF got hit by two different pairs last friday and he's lucky they didn't end up as spoke decorations!

Native doves are a real hassle too! They're so involved in their mating dance that they don't see you coming. "ARGH!!!!" usually gets them out of the way.

But by far the worst - MAGPIES!!!!

It's their nesting season. We've got one in the neighbours garden. There's another one at the goodwill bridge!!

There is no other bird that makes you ride faster. You hear this "shwip-shwip-shwip..........shwip-shwip-shwip" and you realise you're under attack! You pedal as hard as you can with your shoulders up around your ears and your head down watching the ground for it's shadow and pedal furiously to get away. I'm even considering ZIP-TIES and EYE STICKERS ON THE BACK OF MY HELMET to stop them from coming close to my neck. I've been done in twice already and they've only been nesting for 2weeks!!!

[Running Mommy]

I'm not a commuter- work from home, but I do see a lot of desert critters on all my rides. This morning it was a baby taranutula and a baby lizard. And when I say they were babies.. think the size of a cotton ball!
But the other day was wildlife central around here. Saw two snakes- almost ran over one! , a big quail family, racing lizards (they race me down the street), a road runner with a small snake in his mouth, and a coyote.
I was a bit concerned about the coyote as we usually don't see them mid morning unless they are sick..

[crazycanuck]

Um..what's a racing lizard???

Also, can you take a pic of a road runner??? Are they dangerous or is that only when Wily Coyote's around?

C

[amy]

Wow! I need to get out of the city!

[dellafalls]

Small.... town WestCoast, I've been seeing deer, salmon jumping, geese, and lots of black bears along the river.

[margo49]

a road runner with a small snake in his mouth, ..

You mean a roadrunner is an actual for real animal not a Disney creation?

[7rider]

You mean a roadrunner is an actual for real animal not a Disney creation?

I think you mean Warner Brothers!
Yup, they're for real.
http://www.desertusa.com/mag98/sep/papr/road.html

[kfergos]

On the swan river bike path I often see pelicans, shags, dolphins, swans & fantails.

Crazycanuck: Shags??

Let's see, I've seen: Deer, beaver, squirrels, chipmunks, blue heron, hawks... Not usually much at all, though. The deer was a big excitement, as I live in a fairly decent-sized town.

I see more dead animals, victims of cars: Skunks (bleck), LOTS of squirrels, chipmunks, frogs, mice, songbirds of various types, snakes, cats, possums... I'm sure there's more, but they escape me for now.