What wildlife do you see on your rides?

[Tuckervill]

Today I rode a new route around a lake. (took the uphill way instead of the downhill way. doh!) Nearing a clump of bushes on my right, a starling flew out of it and across the road about 15 feet head of me. It was chirping and dipping down to the road over and over again.

I was just paying attention to the bird and the road, but when I got up to it I saw that it was screaming and dipping at a GINORMOUS king snake, whose tail I almost ran over!

EEK! I watched the snake go straight across the road into the ditch on the other side, with the bird chasing him the whole way. Then I had a weird sensation that, like deer, there would be a herd of snakes following him, and I started mashing hard! lol. About 20 yards down the road I got he heebie-jeebies and had to stop.

:::shiver:::

Karen

[7rider]

<snip>
What do you guys see?

(Another favorite BikeForums thread, by the way, was "What's the biggest bug you ever ate?" As one who rides breathing through her mouth often, I'm sure that thread will be relevant to me at some point).

I got chased by a "rabid chicken" once when mountainbiking. It was a very territorial ruffed grouse - so said the park ranger after he stopped laughing.

The DH and I just yesterday saw a HUGE dragonfly - some type of darner, I think, with about a 5" wingspan. It must have gotten knocked silly by a car, as it was head down on the sidewalk beside the road not looking terribly happy. It was still there (and still alive) 2.5 hrs later when we came by again on the return trip. DH moved it off the sidewalk onto some branches. I hope it recovered.

On the bike, I've also seen bunnies (near and dear to my heart), pileated woodpeckers, more deer than I care to think about, pheasant, squirrels, several types of turtles, SNAKES!, fox, black vultures, turkey vultures, and the usual assortment of suburban songbirds, but I won't count them (still looking for bluebirds rumoured to frequent one area where we ride, but haven't seen 'em yet).

Regarding the bug in the face: I once took a bug in the back of the throat (ulp! Swallowed it!) and it left a big knot there for HOURS. Yuck. But the worst was the other week when I took a big bug...I think a bee...in the inside of my lower lip. I guess it stung me, as my lower lip and face swelled to softball size before DH dragged me to the doctor's for treatment!

[Aggie_Ama]

Nanci- I am not a snake fan at all, but that little guy is so pretty. Looks great against your PI gloves!

[Nanci]

See, not all snakes are big and mean and poisonous!

[bcipam]

Hey this is slightly off topic... but tonight I am doing something really cool and will report back fully tomorrow. This afternoon I'm meeting with Stephanie Remington, a biologist for Southern California who specializes in bats. I and another poor sole have volunteer to help Stephanie tonight counting bats. The area we are hiking out to is very remote (the mouth of Fremont Canyon), basically we have to bush wacked our way in. Then we will be sitting out there, just our lonesomes, in the dark (I will have my trusty headlamp) no doubt being watched by lions or other creatures of the night, eaten alive by mosquitos (Stephanie says no repellent - it's bad for the bats). A friend asked "what if you have to go to the bathroom...?" I explained I bring out a water bottle to rinse off in case nature calls, but oh yeah, squatting out in a remote part of the woods, in the dark with lions watching... like that's gonna happen!!!!

Anyway I'm excited but have no idea what to expect. Hope to see some cool creatures while out there. Wish me luck!

[Nanci]

Wow, are you just counting them as they emerge, or all night? They come out so fast, like a swarm of bees...Good luck. I love bats.

[bcipam]

Our bats here don't live in caves. They roost in trees and and niches. They tend to start coming out at dusk but should be flying all night. We don't get the big fly outs like in Texas. Was told we would be counting until 11p - 12a. Seems like a long time to be out there doesn't it???

[biking viking]

Mule deer, beaver, turtles, pelicans, and sometimes rattlesnakes. I like the pelicans best!

[marni]

Usually all I see is road pizza possums, skunks, squirrels, cats and dogs with an occasional and rare live specimen showing up. I was riding around a lake which is actually a cooling pond for a power station and is quite out in the country and I saw a wild hog disappearing into the pines- a short while later I spotted two scissor tail fly catchers which always delights me because they look so much like something invented by Dr. Seus.

marni

[Owlie]

Songbirds of varying stripes, mostly. A couple of house finches, a goldfinch, cardinals, the usual sparrows and mourning doves on today's ride. Also a bright blue bird whose identity I don't know. Crows, red-tailed hawks, and turkey vultures. Gray squirrels, the occasional chipmunk, white-tailed deer (saw two on Sunday's ride), and cats. I also nearly brained myself on a female cardinal over the weekend!

[DebW]

A fox crossed the road in front of me on Monday while biking down 2A in Lexington.

[makbike]

Yesterday was turtle day. I stopped twice along the ride to move a turtle off the road. The first one was fairly large, the size of a dessert plate. It was sitting on the yellow center line. I moved it across the road and wished it good luck. The second one was rather cute. It was a baby and fit nicely in the palm of my hand. It would have taken it an eon to cross the road. I gave it a helping hand and moved it across the road. Again, I wished it good luck. It has a lot of growing to do. I hope it survives.

Today was rabbit day. The Eastern Cottontails, big and small, were out in force. I don't recall a ride where I encountered so many rabbits.

[salsabike]

Pam, where do you see waxwings in NY?? I love them.

Love raptors too. We have lots of bald eagles around here--I mean, on the bike trails as well as in the general region.

[Bike Chick]

Yesterday was turtle day. I stopped twice along the ride to move a turtle off the road.

Yes, what is it with turtles all of a sudden??? There must be a huge migration between Kentucky and Illinois. Ha! Ha! I must've seen six box turtles on my ride yesterday. I also saw wild turkeys, deer, rabbits and squirrels. The critters were busy early in the morning.

[PamNY]

We can see the baby hawks now! They are all the more precious since three were lost earlier this year to a windstorm.

I love babies at this stage.

http://palemale.com/july242010.html

http://urbanhawks.blogs.com/urban_ha...dtailed_hawks/