What wildlife do you see on your rides?

[vicvroom]

On Saturday, my huband called me from a motorcycle ride he was on. (I was on a bicycle ride in a different mountain range.) He and some friends had stopped at an abandoned missle site on the top of a mountain.

He asked me if he was looking at a condor - it was black with a red head and a ten foot wingspan, and it was flying within a few feet of them. I said it had to be, turkey vultures are a lot smaller. He was just in awe of it's size and how close it was. Unfortunately, he didn't have a camera with him.

After he hung up with me, two other condors came and were flying around them. A Fish and Wildlife guy who was tracking them showed up and told my husband and his friends that they were all zoo born and released into the wild as part of the recovery program. He said that it's best to try to scare them away from people, and asked them to leave, and rev their engines loud when they did, then he started banging on a metal tower.

I wish I had been there, I always miss the interesting animal sightings, like the time he saw the quail family, though I'm glad I missed his bear encounter.

[Nanci]

There was a joke when I lived in Minnesota:

Why did the chicken cross the road?

To show the raccoon it _could_ be done!

Nanci

[Nanci]

That would be so amazing to see condors- one of the animals I've waited my whole life to see like the coral snake (seen), Gila Monster (not- but seen by Running Mommy!), armadillo (seen lots!!!).

Nanci

[JLD]

Last Sunday my friend and I were riding down a local boulevard, close to the green belt . We were half a field away when a wolf came tearing across the rode and ran into the field. He was a big fella--if indeed it was a he........I haven't seen a wolf around here in over ten years!

[mimitabby]

In the Seattle area we see bald eagles, hawks, great blue herons (HUGE) ospreys and lots of smaller birds.
We also see deer (on saturday I saw twin foals too )
We also have lots of road kill, husband ran over 4 slugs on saturday!

[margo49]

a wolf came tearing across the rode and ran into the field. He was a big fella--!

Yeoww... was it as "wild" and "free" as one imagines? (you know archetypes and all that?)

[Nanci]

http://tinyurl.com/pbanc

I've been thinking about condors all day. Here is the story of the final days before they were all taken into captivity, and what became of them...

[makbike]

As I was riding today I was treated to a wonderful show, a doe and her fawn in the meadow. The fawn was staying very close to mom but they both seemed relaxed and a bit confused by me and the bike. They were beautiful!

[margo49]

Still on a high from my June 23 ride so I will write about it here too...
I went out to the border where the two rivers meet to see my lovely bee-eater colony. There are even more of them now and their trilling I could hear from quite far away.
It was early in the morning before the First Patrol and so the tracks of the night's visitors were really clear on the sand-strip next to the Border Fence
Suddenly it caught my eye and I braked immediately...a snake track. Perfectly long and wiggly and wavy amongst all the pig prints, jackal prints and lots and lots of different tiny birdy-feet with their associated beak-poke-holes.
I just stared and stared.(There are no snakes in New Zealand so I am impressed by them because we have heard about them in foreign literature and seen them on tv)
Oh I just felt like A Wild Cave Woman or something...an amazing few moments
Do you-all know what I mean?

[salsabike]

Margo49, I was pretty taken by your description of what you saw by the Border Fence---one of those profound connections with elemental nature. I had an experience like that climbing Mt. Fuji years ago---when you realize just how powerful nature, animals, the earth, and your part of that are. (bad grammar, but you know what I mean).

No snakes at all in NZ?

[Quillfred]

I appreciate the strong draw of nature as well. That is why I lived on Vashon Island for ten years and spent a 3 hr/day commute to work.

I would hear owls almost daily about 4 am. Got to see a Great Horned and a Barred (almost thought I had the elusive Spotted).Different hawks and eagles, sparrows building nests, hummingbirds (they would sometimes "dance" in the spray when I watered), Pileated Woodpeckers and other species. The Tree Frogs would sing after a rain. The deer would eat in my drainfield and would "mow" my strawberries and raspberries.

Margo, I looked up Bee Eaters as I am not familiar with them. What a beautiful bird! It must be quite a treat to see them. Snakes usually like it warmer than Western Washington, but I used to see some shy Garter Snakes.

[crazycanuck]

As far as i'm aware there are no snakes in nz.....! Hoop snakes for the tourists though..tee hee...

It's a good thing it's winter here in Western Australia..I think most snakes are in hiding..Although they're out there, i still look around me before i water the bushes on my mtn bike rides...

I'd love to see just one live snake but know it would be one of the lethal ones so i'm cautious on that wish...No desire to have a run in with a dugite or a tiger snake thanks....

No creatures on our ride today-too early for the live roos...I only saw a VERY large dead kangaroo on the side of the road


c

[kiwi in oz]

Nope, no snakes in NZ

Crazycanuck - what's a hoop snake?

[crazycanuck]

I'll never tell. Ever heard of drop bears? Same thing...

c

I'll tell you over coffee one day.

[kiwi in oz]

Awwww come on, tell me/us. The kiwis in my house are confused.