What wildlife do you see on your rides?

[DirtDiva]

Pigeons...

[Lise]

For the longest time, the pictures in this thread wouldn't open for me. Finally got to see the two cute fat cats and the lovely lady pig in the mud. Made me smile.

[Tuckervill]

I see nutria a lot. There's one who lives in the falling down shed in my side-neighbor's back yard. It ho-hums around even when the dog is barking at it through the fence, but when I walk close he scampers off. There's a section of Sager Creek in my town where I can always see one hanging out. They are supposed to be nocturnal, but I see them often in the daytime.

They are also a pest, destroying wetland (although I don't know exactly how). They look like a cross between a beaver and a possum.

[margo49]

Yeah we have that nutria. I thought name nutria was a hebrew one so I translated it as otter. This is an English name which seemed to be what I was looking at from descriptions in British Imperialist books I read in my 1960's New Zealand childhood. Are you sure it is related to the possum?

[Tuckervill]

I don't think it's related to the possum. Its tail just looks like a possum's when it's wet. Looking at the tail is how I distinguish it from a beaver when I see it. We have beavers, too, but I never see them on my rides.

Karen

[Geonz]

If I remember right from my Wildlife major days (Wildlife and Fisheries, not the other kind :-)) it is 'way closer to beaver than anything else.

I always figured my Giant Nutra was sort of named after it. I know I resemble a plastered possum when it's raining...

[margo49]

Oh Tuckervill, none of us look our best when our tail is wet!!

[Tuckervill]

Speak for yourself. :::snicker:::

Karen

[Tuckervill]

My son and I encountered a deer at Devil's Den a couple of times. Strangely enough it didn't run away, but just watched us go by, and it was still in the vicinity when we came back through. We did stop and watch it for a while. It was twitchy, but unconcerned.

And then there was the time that the turkey flew up in front of him. That's why he lets me lead all the time, now.

Karen

[Aggie_Ama]

The other day a saw a roadrunner (beep beep) and a baby miniature donkey. The donkey was so cute!

I forgot on the Tri County Hill Hopper the last two years we have seen some guineas (birds). That is an interesting one.

[margo49]

On today's "riding my bike to ride my bike" ride I found myself riding along a swathe of stubble at the edge of a golden wheatfield (I guess they started and decided it was not ready or something)...
Suddenly a rustling sound caught my attention and I looked to see a gazelle. It leapt and bounded across the field. It was so graceful; hardly seemed to touch the ground. The only sound was the rustle of the wheat.
Then I heard the kingfisher's typical screaming and looked up to see no less than 3 kingfishers. I so love their colours. They also do that thing of having one of last year's chicks help digging out this year's nest hole in a bank, RoadRaven, it's not only bee-eaters.

I love this thread, in case you all hadn't already guessed

[betagirl]

I'm with tikiwi - pigeons.

Also squirrels that like to run out in the road in front of me. An occasional seagull if I'm by the lake. Canadian geese. Ducks.

For roadkill, usually oppossum and racoons. I saw a flat ground squirrel yesterday.

[Lise]

Yeah, like beta said. Dogs, too. Why do the little ones seem the most dangerous? They're like berserk squirrels. (This from the woman whose avatar is a dachshund... )

I'm envious of the beautiful animals and incredible countryside some of you get to see. Our lake Michigan is nothing shabby...but...you know. It's still Chicago. Which I love. But still...

[crazycanuck]

If i ride round the Swan river i often see Pelicans on top of light posts...(kiwi in oz..know what i'm on about?)

Now my question is why do pelicans like sitting atop light posts when the light post is quite small...

It's rather distracting trying not to ride into the river when looking up wondering what a pelican poo is like...

c

[colby]

Rollerbladers, recumbent bikers, walkers, joggers, girls with gum up their noses (yes, really)... oh, you meant non-humans

Lots of bunnies! Especially at dusk, that's prime bunny time to be running across the road, or right along it then darting to one side or the other (hopefully away from the bike...). Along the river we'll see ducks and geese, sometimes some squirrels or chipmunks or other small groundish creatures. One path to/from work includes horses and cows! In town, we'll see seagulls and other local birds. Right near our house, local dogs and cats, too.

Sometimes I feel so focused on the bike I don't take time to enjoy what's around me... I think I'll be more observant on the next few rides.