Suicide Squirrel Squad (Animal Near Misses)

[HLaB]

When coming down here in the pitch dark (an area pretty free of light polution); two little eyes appeared in the ditch on my left. It was a cat who decided to wait till I was passing and jump out. Somehow he went under my BB. Heard a squeal but didn't feel a bump, so I think they mostly made it apart from their tail. Being a steep hill I couldn't really stop immediately but when I did and turned back they were gone, well I couldn't fid them; I have better lights now

Edit:

Ive also had the suicidal squirrels, birds, bats etc flying alongside/ taking off into my path, deer running alongside.

 

[mcshroom]

I've had a near miss with a little (monkjack?) deer once. It ran down the cycle track chicaning and then darted into the woods shortly after.

I did a night ride with @phantasmagoriana, @Tigerbiten and @kimble last year where a Monkjack deer came hurtling out of a hidden driveway. I came close to it, but kimble took a hit which would have probably floored her if she had been on an upright. Deer darted off into the distance.

 

[Cubist]

*Muntjac

 

[DWiggy]

I was on a fast-ish decent when a bee got stick between the arm of my glasses and helmet strap....I stopped rather quickly.

Also I do a bit of country lane riding and when ever I see Rabbits, Squirrels etc I shout out Rabbit (or Squirrel) !! it usually gets there attention and they dart off, although you would think I was a fruit cake if you saw me!

 

[Mr Peps]

From QI about why pigeons would be bored at the cinema:

"Pigeons have such acuity of eyesight that a normal film running at 25 frames per seconds appears like a slow slide presentation to them. It would have to run at least 250 frames per second to create the illusion of movement."

From my experinece in Deptford:

There's a pigeon in the road. Nothing to worry about, they have quick reactions and I'm going about 15mph and I'm at least 20 feet away from it. Followed by pigeon not moving until the last minute and then hitting me full on in the face as it tried to fly out of the way. Followed the next day by trying to explain to people my slightly black eyes.

 

[Jon George]

The pre-dawn rides I've done recently have gone some way to explain the amount of raodkill I see regularly. Numerous rabbits and wood pigeons - presumably attracted to the warmth of the tarmac - either sit there, curiosity write large in their wide eyes as I approach, presumably having forgotten the lessons of the day before about sitting still in the road, or rush from hedgerow to hedgerow, until they find the escape route that is just right. But not until they've darted this way and that just ahead of my front wheel. Muntjac? Two-a-penny around here, in Suffolk - it's them damn red, roe and fallow blighters that decide to follow which ever one starts to move first you have to be careful of. Seeing a herd of them burst out of a copse and leap in front of you as if they've just thwarted Santa's reserve round-up does buggers with the MHR.

 

[glenn forger]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvtsPuts43U

 

[Katherine]

There seems to be a lot of squirrels about who like playing dare! I've managed to miss them all so far.