# Your wildlife encounters....



## nappadang (3 Nov 2013)

Being a bird watcher and all round wildlife enthusiast, I've been taking note of the wildlife I've spotted (or heard) when out cycling. I've even started a cycling bird list, not huge but it includes G/S Woodpecker, Grey Partridge, Little Owl and 3 raptors. This does add a new dimension to an already enjoyable activity. 
Today I was lucky enough to get some excellent views of a Stoat carrying it's pray (probably a Shrew). This got me thinking about whether others on here are as sad as I am and what they have came across wildlife wise, on their travels. I live and cycle in a suburban /greenbelt environment so I guess people on here will easily be able to trump my Stoat and I'd love to hear about some of your cycling, wildlife experiences.


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## User6179 (3 Nov 2013)

I once ran over a rabbit


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## mattobrien (3 Nov 2013)

I had a large deer jump out if the hedgerow in front of me recently. I had to slow a truck coming in the opposite direction to make sure it had found safe passage through the opposite hedgerow. 

Oh and I also ran over a rat a while back. Sounded remarkably hollow...


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## biggs682 (3 Nov 2013)

Eddy said:


> I once ran over a rabbit


and me it broke my lower spoiler on the front of my then new Citroen Visa gti !!


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## Davos87 (3 Nov 2013)

Out yesterday in the country lanes of North Yorks and sadly encountered a dead deer on the roadside verge, a squished hedgehog and too many splattered rabbits to count as anything out of the ordinary.


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## sheffgirl (3 Nov 2013)

Last week I was out riding in Derbyshire and my friend scared a sheep at the side of the road which ran in front of us


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## oiljam (3 Nov 2013)

Commuting home the other day at 23:30 on a really dark stretch a fox ran in front of me, scared me half to death. Great to see though, this is the kind of things people miss out on when they're sat in front of the gogglebox. I hate tele by the way.
A Jay the other week, they're always nice to see and quite rare in our parts. And deer if I head out Doncaster way, not sure what type they are though.

Just remembered a funny incidence..when I were out running the smallest animal (stoat or weasel, dunno really) ran out in front of me and stopped directly in my path. I stopped because it started hissing really loudly at me. Now I'm 6' at it were only inch high but it managed to stop me....I thought it were gunna have me round the neck . I still find it funny now that this little thing were after a fight and had me worried!


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## compo (3 Nov 2013)

I nearly ran over a student by our college the other day.


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## Glow worm (3 Nov 2013)

A lot of my liesure rides take in nature reserves- in particular a well known one called Wicken Fen. The surrounding area has loads of car free routes ideal for hassle free cycling and is also good for wildlife watching. Burwell Fen is a great place to see short eared owls in winter - we had about 15 individuals there last winter and I took this pic of one earlier this year.







Unfortunately, although I always carry binoculars, a decent camera is something I really should carry as this rubbish shot of some waxwings that turned up near here last winter shows






And on warm summer nights, bright little green lights in the verges can be seen in the pitch black, again around Wicken. In June I counted 150 either side of a track one night - it was a magical sight. My favourite creature- the glow worm. This pic I took doesn't do it justice though.






Other highlights this year for me include two ospreys near Soham a month or so back- stopping off to fish on a lake on their way south. Marsh harriers are a common sight too as well as hen harriers in winter here.


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## BigCam (3 Nov 2013)

I'm so going to Wicken in June - glow worms sound way cool 
As for me, over the years of my commuting, I've seen loads of owls, (barn and other), roe deer, muntjac deer, foxes, rabbets, hares, kingfishers, woodpeckers, loads of gypsy horses tied up at the side of the road, badgers, and the piece de resistance, the fen tiger...
Oh - and buzzards too


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## nickyboy (3 Nov 2013)

The best birds I see are the moorland specialists; Ring Ouzel, Merlin, Red Grouse, Golden Plover and the upland woodland specialists; Tree Pipit, Redstart, Pied Flycatcher.
But now the tops are getting very quiet. Just the Red Grouse sit tight through the winter


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## nappadang (3 Nov 2013)

Glow worm said:


> A lot of my liesure rides take in nature reserves- in particular a well known one called Wicken Fen. The surrounding area has loads of car free routes ideal for hassle free cycling and is also good for wildlife watching. Burwell Fen is a great place to see short eared owls in winter - we had about 15 individuals there last winter and I took this pic of one earlier this year.
> 
> View attachment 31933
> 
> ...


Brilliant reply and I'm not in the least bit envious. To see any of what you describe would mean me travelling a lot further than a recovering fatty like me could manage.


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## nappadang (3 Nov 2013)

nickyboy said:


> The best birds I see are the moorland specialists; Ring Ouzel, Merlin, Red Grouse, Golden Plover and the upland woodland specialists; Tree Pipit, Redstart, Pied Flycatcher.
> But now the tops are getting very quiet. Just the Red Grouse sit tight through the winter


Again, a drive into the North Pennines for most of those species, though the merlin and golden plover winter on the coast


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## Glow worm (3 Nov 2013)

nappadang said:


> Brilliant reply and I'm not in the least bit envious. To see any of what you describe would mean me travelling a lot further than a recovering fatty like me could manage.



I suspect there's good stuff to see wherever you are- it's just a case of knowing where to look. One of the most inspirational naturalists I've come across is a guy called David Lindo, also known as the 'urban birder'. His local patch is Wormwood Scrubs Common in London and it's astonishing what he sees there - see http://www.theurbanbirder.com/

I do know of a kittiwake colony near you I'd love to see- under one of the Tyne bridges between Gateshead and Newcastle (forget which one) and on the Baltic Centre. You'll have to wait until spring now though as they'll probably be out at sea by now.


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## User6179 (3 Nov 2013)

biggs682 said:


> and me it broke my lower spoiler on the front of my then new Citroen Visa gti !!



l was on my bike , ran between front and back wheel and I went straight over it .


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## Alex H (3 Nov 2013)

We'd been living here about 2 months and had a family of Barn Owls living in a niche on the outside of our main barn. You can just see the young in this picture.







After a month or so my wife went out one morning and found one of the young hanging by it's wing on the garden gate. 

All signs were it was dead, so I went and got some thick gloves, just in case it was fooling and picked it up. As I did so it woke up, so I put in it the garden for it to recover. After a few dazed minutes it flew off (no doubt to return to the nest later)

Here it is, in all it's glory


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## nappadang (3 Nov 2013)

Glow worm said:


> I suspect there's good stuff to see wherever you are- it's just a case of knowing where to look. One of the most inspirational naturalists I've come across is a guy called David Lindo, also known as the 'urban birder'. His local patch is Wormwood Scrubs Common in London and it's astonishing what he sees there - see http://www.theurbanbirder.com/
> 
> I do know of a kittiwake colony near you I'd love to see- under one of the bridges over the Tyne (forget which one) and on the Baltic Centre. You'll have to wait until spring now though as they'll probably be out at sea by now.


If you visit, give me a shout, I'll get our Kittiwake expert (I'm secretary for local conservation group and one of our members tracks the colonies) to give you the guided tour. The Tyne Bridge and the Baltic, as you correctly point out are the two main structures used by the inland colony.


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## deptfordmarmoset (3 Nov 2013)

Nothing major to report today but I did count the number of cormorants on a pier opposite the O2. There were 35. I can remember - not all that long ago - when you'd never see any at all but a bit of a clean up and what do you know?. 35 together means there's a lot of food for them in that stretch of the river.


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## wait4me (3 Nov 2013)

Plenty of assorted birds (feathered) on the fens but two different animals on consecutive days in exactly the same place made me chuckle. First, coming out of a field gate was a young fox with some small animal in its mouth (it did an about turn when it saw me). The following day a young rabbit in the same gateway. I thought you better hide mate.


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## Supersuperleeds (3 Nov 2013)

Had a snake slither across the cycle path in front of me a couple of weeks ago.

In the floods last week saw a couple of herons looking for fish in a flooded field, don't think they will have had much luck.

Not much of a bird watcher but have had them flying alongside me for a few seconds on early mornings, even had one come along the left side of my front wheel, then fly in front of it and into the hedgerow on my right.

Rabbits, hares and foxes are a regular sight on the the morning commute


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## Kies (3 Nov 2013)

A few years ago, when the youngest had a goal set complete with net, we found a hawk of some description entangled, with a pigeon in it's claws (neck broken). We watched from the patio for some 20 minutes hoping it would free itself, but alas no.
Left to muggings to help the hawk get loose (how i have no idea), so i stepped out into the back garden, and the hawk starts to get agitated, as i get closer, makes a frantic effort and flies away ...... Leaving me with a dead pigeon in the middle of our football pitch to dispose of!!!


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## Gravity Aided (4 Nov 2013)

I was cycling on a rural stretch of road about 2 miles from home when I saw 5 coyote pups in the road. They ran over to me, then, after investigating my bicycle, they left, probably directed by their parents from a nearby hide. I also saw a hen turkey fly up from a wood near my bus route, right in front of a friend of mine riding to work on his bicycle. He had no idea that had happened, when I asked him later. Watching the road.


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## slowmotion (4 Nov 2013)

I met a baby river otter halfway up a cliff when riding an MTB in Canada last summer. As I stopped to take a picture, his mother came screaming out of the bushes, grabbed him in her jaws by the scruff of the neck, and they both fell downwards into the undergrowth, and were gone.....


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## srw (4 Nov 2013)

We always see red kites when we're out. On Saturday we were almost taken out by a female roe deer bounding across the road just in front of us. A couple of seconds quicker and we'd have been side-swiped. No road-sense, these large mammals - someone really ought to teach them the green cross code.


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## Skipper (4 Nov 2013)

Seen a few penguins (cycling past Whipsnade Zoo). Llamas (some farmer keeps a few in a field). Badgers (normally splattered but have seen, and dodged a couple of live ones) ........ and finally ........ a few very wild drivers!


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## Crankarm (4 Nov 2013)

nickyboy said:


> The best birds I see are the moorland specialists; Ring Ouzel, Merlin, Red Grouse, Golden Plover and the upland woodland specialists; Tree Pipit, Redstart, Pied Flycatcher.
> But now the tops are getting very quiet. Just the Red Grouse sit tight through the winter



A beautiful bird indeed.


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## Crankarm (4 Nov 2013)

I was crapped on twice last year as I rode home on the GBW, by the same duck.


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## booze and cake (4 Nov 2013)

On long rides in the country I'm always a bit dismayed at the sheer volume of roadkill I see, bloody cars.

Rabbits and pheasants must be killed in their millions but also seen plenty of dead foxes and badgers (some of these are 'dumped' by the side of the road to make it look like roadkill but have actually been killed by badger baiting).

I've seen dead a dead otter and a few owls which made me much more sad, the otter for its rareness and general coolness, and the owls, because I still think of them as wise and losing one is like losing a grandparent.

Of the living things on my last trip to Wales I saw about 8-9 red kites at one location which was pretty impressive.

And I almost ran over a hedgehog at night once, which would have been a puncture first, but thankfully for both of us my awesome evasive skills meant we both just laugh about it now.

Oh and I've been chased after and bitten in the calf by a dog which was an encounter I did'nt enjoy.


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## nappadang (4 Nov 2013)

[quote="booze and cake, post: 2748684, member: 27586"
And I almost ran over a hedgehog at night once, which would have been a puncture first, but thankfully for both of us my awesome evasive skills meant we both just laugh about it now.[/quote]
It's sad to see that hedgehogs aren't mentioned in your road kill list. Obviously I don't want to see hedgehogs (or any fauna) killed but they are so uncommon now that even dead ones are a rarity. 
If nothing is done to halt the decline, hedgehogs will be extinct in Britain in less than 20 years. Our grand and great grandchildren will not have the opportunity to see hedgehogs in the wild. 
A sobering thought.


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## RedFeend (5 Nov 2013)

I too keep a record of the wild life I see on my Cyclemeter App. I see the usual suspects for the Fens; hares, owls, snakes (in summer), birds in the air and on the River Welland. When it's calm I can see various fish like roach & bream (not sure of spelling) from the foot bridge. Best sighting was an albino pheasant. Never saw it again. Probably got eaten as it had no camaflage. Impressed at other people's records.


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## MarkF (5 Nov 2013)

I was in Monfrague national park last June, hoping to see a wild cat. Vultures were following me, using telegraph poles and trees, I was unnerved as I'd seen what they could do to a cow a few miles back. On the steep winding descent out of the park, a bird flew so close over my head that I could feel it, it was an eagle, what type? I have no idea, a big scary friggin eagle, it settled down about 1.5m in front of my wheel, just above ground, same speed, periodically turning it's head round to look at me, I nearly pooped my pants.


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## Gravity Aided (5 Nov 2013)

I see a lot of turkey vultures . Brilliant flyers. The State stocks them in areas, so they do not need as many road crews cleaning up road kill. They also introduce crows and wild turkeys.


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## ross cordon (5 Nov 2013)

I had to shout at a badger once that was on the road


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## nappadang (5 Nov 2013)

ross cordon said:


> I had to shout at a badger once that was on the road


Some creatures have absolutely no consideration! 
Might be worth keeping this quiet, someone somewhere may get wind of this and add it to the list of half baked excuses for the slaughter of indigenous fauna. 
Oof, bit controversy!


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## Smurfy (5 Nov 2013)

Lots of urban foxes. My record is four or five on one commute. Sometimes I see two juveniles together.


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## Dave 123 (5 Nov 2013)

I was back in the Wirral home lands at the beginning of October and I followed a hare up the road for 100 yards until it turned off right into a hedge.
I decided not to follow.


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## Gravity Aided (6 Nov 2013)

nappadang said:


> Some creatures have absolutely no consideration!
> Might be worth keeping this quiet, someone somewhere may get wind of this and add it to the list of half baked excuses for the slaughter of indigenous fauna.
> Oof, bit controversy!


Or their dislike of cyclists, which seems to be all in vogue this fall, both sides of the pond.


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## marzjennings (6 Nov 2013)

As I mostly mountain bike I've had years of wild encounters, here in Houston we have and I've seen wild boar, deer, snakes, raccoon, possum, coyote and one alligator. Riding in Oregon I almost rode into an Elk on a narrow trail, which was made much worse as she was with a young calf and become instantly pissed on my arrival. It's amazing how an angry 400lbs animal can inspire some fresh blood into tired legs.

Strangest thing I ever saw was a camel spider when riding trails in Morocco. Ugliest beast on the planet.

Example from last weekend...


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## nappadang (6 Nov 2013)

marzjennings said:


> As I mostly mountain bike I've had years of wild encounters, here in Houston we have and I've seen wild boar, deer, snakes, raccoon, possum, coyote and one alligator. Riding in Oregon I almost rode into an Elk on a narrow trail, which was made much worse as she was with a young calf and become instantly ****ed on my arrival. It's amazing how an angry 400lbs animal can inspire some fresh blood into tired legs.
> 
> Strangest thing I ever saw was a camel spider when riding trails in Morocco. Ugliest beast on the planet.
> 
> Example from last weekend...


Need a lodger?


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## Cubist (6 Nov 2013)

YellowTim said:


> Lots of urban foxes. My record is four or five on one commute. Sometimes I see two juveniles together.


This is the time of year to see foxes, urban or otherwise, as the adolescents are being turfed out to fend for themselves. In an urban setting they will have to try very hard to establish their own territory, and often have to look a long way from home.


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## Hacienda71 (6 Nov 2013)

Buzzards are pretty common around Cheshire. I have caught a couple unawares perched on gate posts early in the morning and although I didn't think it would be possible they can look suprised to see a cyclist whizzing past.


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## S1m0n (6 Nov 2013)

I crashed into a fat lamb while TTing once, straight over the bars at about 30mph (I was going slightly down hill). No time to brake, it just ran in front of me. I'm not sure how it fared but it must have smarted.

Also killed a crow the flew straight out of the hedgerow into my the spokes of my front wheel. I stayed on this time.

I also had a barn owl fly along side me at eye level for about 1/2 mile which was pretty cool. I didn't kill that!


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## Bodhbh (6 Nov 2013)

I don't know what type, but had a bird of pray join me for a mile or so down the lanes once. It kept flying ahead, pertching on a telegraph pole to wait, then flying off ahead again. I'm guessing it was hoping I'd scare something for dinner out the hedgerow.

Had a few encounters with strays in the Balkans - some friendly, a couple scary - once one starts chasing the whole lot pile in.


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## HLaB (6 Nov 2013)

In the last while during the day I've seen various birds of prey and at twilight, various Owls, Deer, Foxes, Rabbits, Hares, a Woodpecker and a few voles and other small mamals.


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## HLaB (6 Nov 2013)

Supersuperleeds said:


> Had a snake slither across the cycle path in front of me a couple of weeks ago.


I've not seen any this year, saw a few last year but I thought they might be hibernating now.


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## rbreid (6 Nov 2013)

Had an encounter with a welsh dragon earlier today and survived ......only just


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## Steve Saunders (6 Nov 2013)

Caught a sighting of what appears to be bats quite a few times while riding in the dark ... seen plenty of deer, the odd mouse scurrying across the road, a few sheep (which I herded along the road for about half a mile) and plenty of encounters with dogs and extended leads .


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## Rickshaw Phil (6 Nov 2013)

Mostly rabbits, hares, hedgerow birds of various sorts and buzzards. Like @Steve Saunders I too have herded sheep. 

The most memorable moment though was riding across the top of the Long Mynd, when a red kite took off from the heather roughly 20 feet away and flew alongside me for about quarter of a mile. You don't appreciate how big they are without seeing them up close.


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## Salad Dodger (6 Nov 2013)

This one's not cycle related, but happened today. We were clearing the final bits of furniture from our "old" house prior to it being sold in (hopefully) a couple of weeks time.

Our buyer had come along for a second look round, and as we were looking out into the back garden, a fox walked very calmly across the lawn and over the fence into next door's garden.

It looked very well fed and healthy: sometimes urban foxes look a bit scrawny, but not this one.....

I hope our buyer doesn't have a problem with urban wildlife.......


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## Smurfy (7 Nov 2013)

Cubist said:


> This is the time of year to see foxes, urban or otherwise, as the adolescents are being turfed out to fend for themselves. In an urban setting they will have to try very hard to establish their own territory, and often have to look a long way from home.


Two sightings tonight. An adult ~1.5 miles from where I live, and a juvenile a stones throw from home, it's the first time I've seen one so close to where I live. Only one spotting last week, a juvenile in the middle of a largish roundabout. I'd always thought there were more sightings in autumn/winter because they came out earlier as the nights draw in. Never heard of turfing out! They always seem a lot more shy of bikes than cars, I guess they don't see many bikes.


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## markharry66 (7 Nov 2013)

I live in London or just outside. I have a daily interest in watching birds some of then are foxes. Its not wild life but I also see plenty of droppings from dogs which I would prefer not to.


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## wait4me (7 Nov 2013)

markharry66 said:


> I live in London or just outside. I have a daily interest in watching birds some of then are foxes. Its not wild life but I also see plenty of droppings from dogs which I would prefer not to.


_That's one saaaad post especially looking at the time on the post _


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## Poacher (7 Nov 2013)

Was hoping to amaze you all with a Glossy Ibis at Lowdham, which has been thrilling local birders since Friday. Apparently it was still showing well at 16:00 today - 15 minutes before I got there. Probably scared off by a dog, as the field where it was is crossed by a footpath regularly used by dog walkers. 
At least some people got decent pics of it - see here, for example. Hope it's back there tomorrow.

Occasionally I find a bird obliging enough to hang around while I dash back to the house for 'scope and camera. Here's a rather benign-looking individual which was gazing at me from a roadside tree a mile or so west of Chepstow:





And here's one of its companions feasting on roadkill.




Should have mentioned that it was Chepstow, Ontario, I suppose, so not too surprising to see Turkey Vulture.
Just a mile east of Lowdham, back in August, I saw what looked like an unusual wader, possibly one of the rarer vagrant Sandpiper types. By the time I got back with the camera, there was no sign of it, so I practiced on one of the two Oystercatchers present. Sorry for the poor focus.


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## e-rider (7 Nov 2013)

nappadang said:


> Being a bird watcher and all round wildlife enthusiast, I've been taking note of the wildlife I've spotted (or heard) when out cycling. I've even started a cycling bird list, not huge but it includes G/S Woodpecker, Grey Partridge, Little Owl and 3 raptors. This does add a new dimension to an already enjoyable activity.
> Today I was lucky enough to get some excellent views of a Stoat carrying it's pray (probably a Shrew). This got me thinking about whether others on here are as sad as I am and what they have came across wildlife wise, on their travels. I live and cycle in a suburban /greenbelt environment so I guess people on here will easily be able to trump my Stoat and I'd love to hear about some of your cycling, wildlife experiences.


I often see barn owls here in Norfolk. Quite often Deer too, especially after dark, and if they are on or very near the road they often scare the life out of me when they panic - I'm sure one day one is going to just go straight for me in confusion!


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## SatNavSaysStraightOn (7 Nov 2013)

the list is rather long, so some of the less well known

2 Montagu's harriers which flew in front of us and alongside us in Denmark
various snakes both in the UK and Sweden
too many mountain lemmings to count (northern Norway and Finland)
a golden eagle this last September in Scotland
numerous buzzards, kestrels, sparrow hawks in Cheshire
an elk (european mouse) in Finland
polecat - we have them in cheshire, that came as rather a surprise to me
weasels & stoats
....

I'll stop there.


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## DooDah (7 Nov 2013)

Deer, wild boar, red squirrels, buzzards, hawks, kites, kestrels, pine martin, badger, hare, rabbits. But I do live in rural France.


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## nappadang (7 Nov 2013)

SatNavSaysStraightOn said:


> the list is rather long, so some of the less well known
> 
> 2 Montagu's harriers which flew in front of us and alongside us in Denmark
> various snakes both in the UK and Sweden
> ...


Keep going.....
Montagu's would be lifer for me.


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## ankaradan (8 Nov 2013)

SatNavSaysStraightOn said:


> the list is rather long, so some of the less well known
> 
> 2 Montagu's harriers which flew in front of us and alongside us in Denmark
> various snakes both in the UK and Sweden
> ...



a bloody big mouse.........


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## nickyboy (8 Nov 2013)

I've just remembered another...cycling up Long Hill in Derbyshire. This has hosted the National Hill Climb so I was putting in a fair old effort. A Common Lizard, sunning itself on the edge of the road. It was a good excuse to stop for a bit. Never seen a lizard before or since in UK


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## Jonbek (8 Nov 2013)

There was a glossy ibis in little Bollington this week past the Swan with Two Nicks pub but it had moved on when I got there, so annoying.


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## SatNavSaysStraightOn (8 Nov 2013)

nappadang said:


> Keep going.....
> Montagu's would be lifer for me.


 
We were stunningly lucky - but sadly no pictures because it was one of those situations where you knew if you changed what you were doing, it would break the 'spell' and they would leave. I have no idea how long we cycled with the parent bird only 20m or so in front of us and not that much higher than us either but it was magical. the young was being taught to catch other birds (I assume this is what was going on) and was repeatedly trying to catch the parent bird, only aborting the 'attack' at the last moment. At the time we had no idea what the birds were, other than birds of prey, it was only as we left the nature reserve that we were cycling through that we came across a notice board (in Danish) and immediately recognised the harrier in the pictures. Luckily the name in Danish is the same as English!


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## Poacher (8 Nov 2013)

Finally caught up with the Glossy Ibis at Lowdham this morning, but can't count it as a cycling sighting as my wife insisted on driving there. 
A couple of embarrassingly fuzzy photos - think I must have the wrong setting on the camera, as it looked pin-sharp through the scope.










As for cycling sightings, unfortunately no photos, but I've seen a Common Crane in a harvested maize field near Stoke Bardolph and a Cedar Waxwing at two or three different locations in Nottingham - at one point I was leading a small convoy of twitchers' cars around potential sites, before finally catching up with "Cedric" in a much larger flock of Bohemian Waxwings at Haydn Road.


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## Jon George (8 Nov 2013)

A flying carpet of stoats ... seriously, that was my first thought as a family of them darted out from a bush to scamper over the road. And earlier this year, I had a herd of about twelve deer bolt out of a copse, into the lane and leap the hedgerow opposite, causing me to brake damn hard. And I, too, have had a barn owl 'escort' me down a country lane.


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## nappadang (9 Nov 2013)

Came across a very young hedgehog while out today. Very small and out during day light means trouble. Even if it has no illnesses, it's size would certainly doom it to a premature death during hibernation. 
Fortunately, my wife (and me on a lesser extent) rescue wild hogs. Our latest addition (I've named him Trek) Is now in our spare bedroom with food and water. 
We're not out the woods with Trek, he's really dehydrated and probably under nourished. My wife is feeding him a glucose solution every couple of hours. Next 48 hours are critical. Let's keep our fingers crossed.


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## nappadang (9 Nov 2013)

2759287 said:


> Well done, they need all the help they can get.


They do indeed, at the current rate of decline, hogs will be extinct in Britain in less than 15 years


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## nappadang (9 Nov 2013)

Just incase anyone is interested, here's an update on the hedgehog I found today......
Weight: 227g less than half what it should be to successfully hibernate. 
Severely dehydrated and weak. It would have probably perished tonight if not found and there's still a good chance it will not see tomorrow. That said, we have managed to get some fluid (glucose / salt/water solution) and some lactose free milk and rusk food in to him. Lap of the gods type stuff tonight.


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## Easytigers (10 Nov 2013)

nappadang said:


> Just incase anyone is interested, here's an update on the hedgehog I found today......
> Weight: 227g less than half what it should be to successfully hibernate.
> Severely dehydrated and weak. It would have probably perished tonight if not found and there's still a good chance it will not see tomorrow. That said, we have managed to get some fluid (glucose / salt/water solution) and some lactose free milk and rusk food in to him. Lap of the gods type stuff tonight.


How did it get on? Hope it's happy news!


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## Poacher (10 Nov 2013)

2759293 said:


> At the risk of being a bit harsh, I'm not seeing the glossy aspect.


 With that quality of focus, you won't be seeing very much of anything! Checked the camera, and sure enough, I'd left it on a setting for everyday pics instead of digiscoping. Dammit! For a professional-quality pic of the same bird, see here. Still not particularly glossy, though, as it's a young'un, and won't have the eponymous glossy wings until it reaches adulthood next Spring.


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## Poacher (10 Nov 2013)

nappadang said:


> Just incase anyone is interested, here's an update on the hedgehog I found today......
> Weight: 227g less than half what it should be to successfully hibernate.
> Severely dehydrated and weak. It would have probably perished tonight if not found and there's still a good chance it will not see tomorrow. That said, we have managed to get some fluid (glucose / salt/water solution) and some lactose free milk and rusk food in to him. Lap of the gods type stuff tonight.


Fingers crossed here for the young hog (makes typing difficult, though). Sounds like little Trek was fortunate to be found by the best possible rescuers.


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## nappadang (10 Nov 2013)

Poacher said:


> Fingers crossed here for the young hog (makes typing difficult, though). Sounds like little Trek was fortunate to be found by the best possible rescuers.


Nice of you to say so, thanks. 
He survived the night and has eaten /taken water on board of his own volition. This is a tiny first step but positive all the same. 
His stools suggest infection so we'll start him om a course of (bloody expensive) antibiotics tonight, if his condition doesn't deteriorate.


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## nappadang (15 Nov 2013)

Trek,update. .. ......

He's still with us and eating us out of house and home. He's been wormed and finished a course of antibiotics. It's looking good, he's gained 50% of his original body weight (346g now) if we can get him to 550g ish, we'll look at a supervised hibernation.
Thanks for the kind words


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## booze and cake (15 Nov 2013)

nappadang said:


> Trek,update. .. ......
> 
> He's still with us and eating us out of house and home. He's been wormed and finished a course of antibiotics. It's looking good, he's gained 50% of his original body weight (346g now) if we can get him to 550g ish, we'll look at a supervised hibernation.
> Thanks for the kind words



Just caught up on this thread, great news, well done Mr & Mrs Nappadang

I must confess when I read "His stools suggest infection........" you folks clearly know what you're doing


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## nappadang (15 Nov 2013)

booze and cake said:


> Just caught up on this thread, great news, well done Mr & Mrs Nappadang
> 
> I must confess when I read "His stools suggest infection........" you folks clearly know what you're doing


Stools is how these things are discussed with the vet and in polite conversation. I'd normally use far more colourful language but I feared I'd upset the delicate and decent folk who use this forum .
Yes, anyway, Trek is fine, it's the other two that are more of a worry currently.


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## SatNavSaysStraightOn (15 Nov 2013)

Rang over a squirrel today on my bike...  back wheel survived as did the squirrel (a grey).


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## srw (15 Nov 2013)

Cycling through Bloomsbury this evening on my way home from work a very sleek adult fox trotted out of Tavistock Square Gardens, crossed the road through the rush-hour traffic and disappeared towards the Senate House.


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## nappadang (23 Nov 2013)

Trek update incase anyone is interested. He now weighs 488g and is doing really well. If he carries on like this, we'll look to put him in a pen in the garden so he can hibernate while we monitor him. We're probably 70 or 80grams away from this but he could gain that in less than a week. 
I'm really pleased with his progress and his will to live.


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## biggs682 (24 Nov 2013)

today on our various journeys that have taken us no further than 6 miles from home we have seen 6 red tailed kite, 4 little egrets , a curlew and loadfs of other what we class a normal birds


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## andy nulty (25 Nov 2013)

ive swallowed about a million flies...


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## Spinney (25 Nov 2013)

andy nulty said:


> ive swallowed about a million flies...


otherwise known as flying protein supplements... 

Most of the wildlife I see at the moment is squashed 
But in the past I have had a couple of those encounters where a buzzard or similar flies along parallel or just in front for hundreds of yards - lovely!

Best sightings, although not cycling at the time, were sea otters in Scotland - once on the shore, and once when we were kayaking in a sea loch and came across a family of them playing - magical!


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## Poacher (11 Mar 2014)

Thread resurrection!

The Glossy Ibis (or one just like it) has returned, now looking slightly prettier than before!
It's somewhere in that field behind my old tourer:





Need a bit more zoom; now got the correct setting on the camera, still not particularly well-focussed, but at least you can see some glossiness in its newly acquired adult plumage.





(Photos taken this afternoon in Gonalston, Notts)


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## nappadang (11 Mar 2014)

Poacher said:


> Thread resurrection!
> 
> The Glossy Ibis (or one just like it) has returned, now looking slightly prettier than before!
> It's somewhere in that field behind my old tourer:
> ...


Nice one, is that pic digiscoped? 

we had a couple of Glossy Ibis knocking around South Tyneside earlier in the winter, they really are a magnificent bird.


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## Poacher (11 Mar 2014)

nappadang said:


> Nice one, is that pic digiscoped?
> 
> we had a couple of Glossy Ibis knocking around South Tyneside earlier in the winter, they really are a magnificent bird.



Thanks, @nappadang.
Digiscoped with Opticron HR66 scope fitted with 28x WW lens and a Nikon Coolpix 4500.
Had this setup for a few years now, but never really got the hang of using it properly, hence the fuzzy focus!
I'd never seen one of these birds until last November, about a km from where I saw this one - quite probably the same bird. They're quietly spectacular when seen in good light. Quite a confident creature; just goes about its feeding and doesn't seem to be bothered by anything, even being nearly knocked over by courting Mallards!


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## steveindenmark (11 Mar 2014)

I live in the Danish countryside and leave for work at 4.30am. Our area is alive with foxes, deer and badgers. There are 100s of geese around just now.

I don't want to tangle with these guys because they are massive. There are lots of them where we live.


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## nappadang (12 Mar 2014)

[quwife "Poacher, post: 2973004, member: 893"]Thanks, @nappadang.
Digiscoped with Opticron HR66 scope fitted with 28x WW lens and a Nikon Coolpix 4500.
Had this setup for a few years now, but never really got the hang of using it properly, hence the fuzzy focus!
I'd never seen one of these birds until last November, about a km from where I saw this one - quite probably the same bird. They're quietly spectacular when seen in good light. Quite a confident creature; just goes about its feeding and doesn't seem to be bothered by anything, even being nearly knocked over by courting Mallards![/quote]
My wife and I had a digiscope set up a while back. Similar results to what you are getting. I just gave up and bought some nice binoculars. My wife has spent a King's ransom on DSLR kit.


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