Seen on the ride...

[Pete]

Talking of albatrosses, I do recollect, on the Santander ferry, hearing a fellow holidaymaker excitedly exclaiming "just look at the albatrosses over there - not something we see too often in these parts". Following his gaze, I was certainly impressed at the splendid gannets that were wheeling around the ship. People may well have no conception as to how big a gannet is, until they see one really close!

As for the golfing allusion (I'm sure someone must've dragged the mouse over my text ), well I do know what 'eagle' and 'albatross' mean, thanks! Even if I've never played the game myself!

 

[mr_hippo]

On Saturday, Mr Hippo met Mr Rhino Beetle (Xylotrupes gideon)

 

[longers]

Great Beetle Mr Hippo. A shame you didn't have a 50p to hand to give us a better idea of scale .

 

[Fnaar]

Great Beetle Mr Hippo. A shame you didn't have a 50p to hand to give us a better idea of scale .

It looks massive compared to that bar in the first picture!

 

[Christopher]

He should have used his finger in the pic for scale, longers. Can't see what could go wrong there.
Anyhoo I've seen lots of wildlife when out on rides: many hares, grey squirrels, badgers, foxes, weasels and stoats, rats and (I think) mink.
and in the U.S: many deer, one dead stinking stag (on the side of Interstate 580 near San Francisco and yes I was riding, legally, on the shoulder), a big black pine snake I had to bunny-hop over - dumb thing was across the path - and wild turkeys...

 

[mr_hippo]

Use a 50p piece? What use is that in Bangkok? Use my finger? I was born with 10 and hope to die with 10! Tip to tip, it was about 6cms.

 

[longers]

Use a 50p piece? What use is that in Bangkok?

For measuring beetles with.

 

[HLaB]

A few weeks back I went down a dark, damp forest road, to a little place called Vicar's Br (no houses, just an old stone bridge) and on the way back up I was delighted to see a pair of red squirrels clambering up a tree.

 

[longers]

Seen on the ride tonight? My Dog.

I put one of those Aldi leg/arm bands round her neck (just, there was about 4mm of velcro touching) switched it to constant light and away we went. Twas excellent . We did 11 miles along the TPT and I always knew where she was in the dark. She doesn't faff about as much in the dark as there's less distractions for her (or she's scared of it!).

 

[Jacomus-rides-Gen]

Once coming through Richmond Park at night, I was taking a bit of a risk and going flat out on the aerobars with nothing but two "be seen" cateye LED lights.

I spotted what I thought to be a cyclist in the distance ahead, and as I kept focussed I seemed to be catching them very fast indeed. I moved back onto the bars and almost exclaimed out loud when sed cyclists accelerated incredibly fast off into the bushes!!

When I got closer (and was going much slower by this point) I was trying to work out how on earth four cyclists were batting around in the bushes before a loud whislte from the path ahead, accompanied by four dogs with bike lights attached to their collars came running out of the bushes!

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

I saw a gorgeous brunette roadie today...all in black slim, fit and fAST!....NOW i KNOW i NEED A FAST BIKE SO I CAN CATCH HER!

 

[snorri]

Spotted a recycling box lid on the roadside verge. Just what I needed to replace mine which cracked recently. Managed to tie it on to my luggage rack using two supermarket carrier bags

 

[Pete]

Like BJB above, not on the ride but out for a walk on the Downs last Sunday (11th Nov), passed fields with plenty of poppies in full bloom. A poignant sight, considering the date! Don't recall having seen them so late in the year, before. I was fingering the paper-and-plastic one in my pocket (I usually buy one, then never get around to wearing it), wondering whether I should pick a real poppy and wear it for the occasion (it was just coming up to 11am too!). But I didn't.

 

[walker]

Like BJB above, not on the ride but out for a walk on the Downs last Sunday (11th Nov), passed fields with plenty of poppies in full bloom. A poignant sight, considering the date! Don't recall having seen them so late in the year, before. I was fingering the paper-and-plastic one in my pocket (I usually buy one, then never get around to wearing it), wondering whether I should pick a real poppy and wear it for the occasion (it was just coming up to 11am too!). But I didn't.

but then two days too late

 

[Andy in Sig]

Saw a barn owl carrying a rodent when I was out on Wednesday night .

Awww, that's nice. Was the rodent tired or something?