Is the bird population becoming more suicidal?
Discussion
In the last couple of weeks the incidence of birds just missing the front on my car seems to have increased markedly. It seems that every time I drive somewhere (in any of my cars) there's some stupid bird who just misses the bonnet or the windscreen.
It's rather embarrassing if there's passengers in the car because my natural (kneejerk) reaction is to quickly move my head to avoid it! As such, I look a righ prat!
It's rather embarrassing if there's passengers in the car because my natural (kneejerk) reaction is to quickly move my head to avoid it! As such, I look a righ prat!
srebbe64 said:
In the last couple of weeks the incidence of birds just missing the front on my car seems to have increased markedly. It seems that every time I drive somewhere (in any of my cars) there's some stupid bird who just misses the bonnet or the windscreen.
I wouldn't take her out again then...
Had the usual flying windscreen fodder recently but also two shockers:
A pine marten running out in front of us on a blind bend, luckily it was a quiet back road and the brakes worked well!
Second one was the other week when I ran over a squirrel, nothing amazing there except that I was on a mountain bike - that really is bad timing!
A pine marten running out in front of us on a blind bend, luckily it was a quiet back road and the brakes worked well!
Second one was the other week when I ran over a squirrel, nothing amazing there except that I was on a mountain bike - that really is bad timing!
v15ben said:
Had the usual flying windscreen fodder recently but also two shockers:
A pine marten running out in front of us on a blind bend, luckily it was a quiet back road and the brakes worked well!
Second one was the other week when I ran over a squirrel, nothing amazing there except that I was on a mountain bike - that really is bad timing!
I was one of the few people to fail the motorcycle test when it was really easy (many years ago). Basically, I was driving round the circuit on my motorbike when a cat ran out in fron of me. Both front and back wheel went over it and I nearly came a cropper. Because I was all over the place I put my feet down - so I failed. The examiner laughed when it happened - saying he'd never seen anything like it before! The cat, meanwhile, made a cattish type yell and ran off. I reckon it lost two out of nine lives in one shot.
I was about to blast a damn squirrel off of a utility pole the other day to stop him from chewing through my cables (we have lterally unlimited numbers of these tree rats), when some type of bird divebombed me for apparently being too close to its nest area. By the time I got re-situated, the little bastard crossed himself between two powerlines(he had chewed bare)and cooked himself...went up in a burst of flames! Typical day of dealing with suburban wildlife.
>> Edited by Jimbeaux on Sunday 15th May 22:16
>> Edited by Jimbeaux on Sunday 15th May 22:16
v15ben said:A couple of years ago I was cycling down a narrow path with a 6' fence on one side and a hedge on the other.
Second one was the other week when I ran over a squirrel, nothing amazing there except that I was on a mountain bike - that really is bad timing!
Cue squirrel stage right who sees me coming and starts to run away from me down the fence. Unfortunately I'm travelling a little faster than it can run so it suddenly panics and decides that it would be better off in the hedge.
If the leap from one side to the other had been any closer I'd have had enough squirrel hair in my teeth to open a craft shop!
This is weird because just yesterday, you know those suicidal crows that walk about one foot from the carriageway, I saw two - stone DEAD!
So your thread is a timely one.
Also, got back from a meal last night (Sat) and there was a dead pigeon in the fireplace (real fire, but not made up).
Are you telling me this thing really 'overbalanced' and fell down there? Must have!
So your thread is a timely one.
Also, got back from a meal last night (Sat) and there was a dead pigeon in the fireplace (real fire, but not made up).
Are you telling me this thing really 'overbalanced' and fell down there? Must have!
srebbe64 said:
In the last couple of weeks the incidence of birds just missing the front on my car seems to have increased markedly. It seems that every time I drive somewhere (in any of my cars) there's some stupid bird who just misses the bonnet or the windscreen.
I don't think this is a new phenomenon.
When I got my first car in 1960 (an Austin Healey Sprite) I used to travel daily between Scarborough and ICI Wilton on Teesside, and I frequently had near misses with low flying birds.
It was almost as if it was a game they played, sitting in a hedge and then flying across the road just in front of me. I hardly ever hit one, but they used to cut it very fine.
Best wishes all,
Dave.
Jimbeaux said:
I was about to blast a damn squirrel off of a utility pole the other day to stop him from chewing through my cables (we have lterally unlimited numbers of these tree rats), when some type of bird divebombed me for apparently being too close to its nest area. By the time I got re-situated, the little bastard crossed himself between two powerlines(he had chewed bare)and cooked himself...went up in a burst of flames! Typical day of dealing with suburban wildlife.
>> Edited by Jimbeaux on Sunday 15th May 22:16
COOL
I've seen a cow that got run over on the motorway that escaped from a near field and lots of over dead things. Worst are badgers I normally go and check them and move them off the road. Think I would cry if I hit one. They do like to fun along the road till they find a nice hole to jump through though.
>> Edited by YarisSi on Monday 16th May 08:12
Narrowly missed a swan on the Avonmouth bridge a while back. The bloody thing flew over the railings at the side of the bridge, and was only about 8 foot of the ground. It wouldn't have been a problem for a car, but I was in a truck. Imagine that coming through your windscreen, and waking up on the bunk
Phil
Phil
Went to Cornwall 2 weeks ago in the Tuscan & saw a small bird fly out in front of me when I got home a week later & cleaned the car I found a very colourful birds arse & legs sticking out of one of the holes below my Reg plate had to pull it out by the legs very impressive shot!
Howard.
Howard.
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