What wildlife do you see on your rides?

[crazycanuck]

My auntie n uncle raise buffalo (in Alberta) & like most farms have feral cats. Whilst visiting them, they told us about how frightened the bison were of the cats! Hard to imagine but true!!!

[Jen72]

I was so excited. I recently just saw a Spotted Owl sitting in a low branch just over my head during a late morning ride. I tried to take pictures with my cell phone but it just couldn't get a good pic due to the bright lighting.

[sundial]

I saw a fox peeking from a culvert.

I also saw a dead copperhead.

[spazzdog]

I live in the city... in a not so great area. The wildlife I see is highly unusual and unique to areas like mine.

In the early morning - "Wild-haired, hot-pansed street walker" as they return to their dens

In the evening - "gaggles of baggy-jeans heat packing street pharmaceutical dealers"

Ride fast, don't stare.

[KathiCville]

Spotted this gal/guy in a pasture while I was riding in the country on Saturday. Not quite wildlife, I guess, but cute as can be. Comes equipped with an ear-splitting scream, yowza! He posed for several photos, turning his head this way and that, then trotted off (quite elegantly, I might add!)

[limewave]

I can't remember if I posted this or not . . .

But a few years ago I was mountain biking on the NCT with DH. He rides a lot faster than I do, so we usually ride out 60-90 minutes and then turn around so that we're back at the same time.

I had turned on the trail and was first on the way back. I came around this corner and there, sitting on a low branch right on the trail was a Snowy Owl! Ghost white.

I stopped about 5 feet from it and we just stared at each other. I felt like I was in a Harry Potter book. It was amazing. He flew off after a moment. I will never forget it.

[owlice]

An owl!!! ~~ sigh ~~ Very cool, limewave!

One of my main reasons (or excuses) for biking is seeing things; I'm really slow on a bike, and it must be because I'm always scanning the skies, woods, streams, swamps and meadows looking for wildlife, right? (That's my story, anyway, and I'm sticking to it!)

I see deer often; on Saturday, I was getting to my turnaround point and passed a doe; a couple of minutes later, I passed her on my return trip, but this time, she was nursing her twins. No camera with me, darn it!

The week before, I'd seen a buck in velvet in the same area. That little area, tucked in behind a neighbor and close to a major road, is also good for hearing/seeing wood thrushes and various woodpeckers, and I've even heard a veery way off in the distance there.

Some of my recent rides have been after work in downtown DC; I've been seeing a Great Blue Heron and a Yellow-crowned Night Heron in the pond at Constitution Gardens, near the Vietnam War Memorial.

Most of my rides are on trails in flood plains. A few years ago, I was riding along the Anacostia River in Maryland and noticed that the trail had many small flattened (dried-out) frogs on it. Ick!

A couple/three weeks ago when I was riding that trail, I came across a small snapping turtle; he was covered in mud and looked like a leaf on the trail. I'm glad I didn't run over him! I moved him off the trail into the grass. I see Red-eared Sliders a lot; snapping turtles, not so often. And sometimes I see these skinks, which are very cute and exceedingly fast, so glimpses of them are fleeting!