Your wildlife encounters....

[rbreid]

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

 

[Steve Saunders]

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 .

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

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.

 

[Salad Dodger]

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.......

 

[Smurfy]

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.

 

[markharry66]

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.

 

[wait4me]

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

 

[Poacher]

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.

 

[e-rider]

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!

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

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.

 

[DooDah]

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

 

[nappadang]

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.

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

 

[ankaradan]

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.

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

 

[nickyboy]

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

 

[Jonbek]

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.