Fifty Plus (50+) - Partridge Hen...

On my ride this afternoon, I stopped to adjust my helmet straps, and while stopped saw a partride hen pecking around in the grasses on the side of the road. I stood very still, and she eventually walked over to me, pecked at my shoe two or three times and then moved on. When I reached for my camera in my jersey pocket, she took flight. I never knew these birds would get so close to humans. Or, maybe this one had a serious vision problem. In any event, it made my day. I am sooooooo glad that I've got two wheels to get me out and about in the world!

- good story!

- ran across a gopher tortoise munching on weed next to the trail last month...

- he didn't move, just tilted his head, looked at me, then went back to grazing...

That is remarkable.

You must be a very seedy character.

(groan)

In general, nature is a wonderful thing to have around you. I used to love working in the bush.

Richard

Cool. I know what you mean. A few weeks ago on a trail out in the middle of nowhere in MI, there was a baby groundhog right smack dab in the middle of the it. I slowed down and at first went around him. He just circled so he could keep his eyes on me. I stopped a few feet away and we just kind of looked at each other for a few minutes. He was a little furball and actually kinda cute.

The chance to see nature up-close is one of the things I love about biking. Last summer we were on an early morning ride along the river trail. As we pulled out of a rest area a red fox came up on the trail right in front of us. As he trotted across a small bridge he kept looking back to keep us in sight. Guess he wanted to know what these strange looking creatures were doing in his territory. After crossing the bridge he disappeared into the brush along the trail.

Deer and wild turkey encounters are fairly common in Stoney Creek Metropark here. Had a big tom in the trail right in front of me once. He puffed up his feathers and spread his tail to strut and "intimidate" this two-wheeled interloper.

Or maybe he just really liked my bike.

On my morning commute, a robin took flight on my right, just as I passed it, so that it flew a few seconds right close to my face, at my speed ... cool ... watching it flap away. My stealth bike gave me another opportunity to view nature closeup.

Last Saturday morning I had to stop to let a flock of wild turkeys cross the road within 2 feet of my front wheel. It didn't appear that they even noticed me.

Last Saturday morning I had to stop to let a flock of wild turkeys cross the road within 2 feet of my front wheel. It didn't appear that they even noticed me.

Speaking of wild turkeys, I surprised one while cycling, that was sitting on the side of the road. It took flight into the nearby woods with such abandon from being taken by surprise that it crashed headlong into some tree branches and fell to the ground. I assumed it was alright; just slightly embarrassed. ;-)

Last Saturday morning I had to stop to let a flock of wild turkeys cross the road within 2 feet of my front wheel. It didn't appear that they even noticed me.
Why does a wild turkey cross the road?

Why does a wild turkey cross the road?

There's a website for everything including why the turkey crossed the road:D

http://blog.jugglingfrogs.com/2007/06/why-did-turkey-cross-road.html

Why does a wild turkey cross the road?

To show the possums it can be done :D

Possums probably make it more often than Armadillo's...:)

Yea, but when was the last time you saw a dead Armadillo in CT

True.....true. Perhaps you have a point there about the possom. Maybe they are distant relatives.

Possums probably make it more often than Armadillo's...:)

- had an armadillo run in front of me a year ago...

- after swerving around it, i kept thinking, "Would it taste like beef or chicken?"

:-)

Today I caught a glimpse, while riding on my bike, of two turtle doves.

It was cool.

You can come to my back porch and watch 6-8 turtle doves anytime you want. They get so noisy in the evenings that it can be hard to read my newspaper out there.

You'd also have to put up with 25-30 other birds, including a very loud pair of cardinals. And a few war-mongering hummingbirds. Those little guys are the most aggressive birds I've ever seen, always dive-bombing and attacking each other.

I'm going riding this evening. I hope to see three French hens.

Let me know when you find the five golden rings.

- had an armadillo run in front of me a year ago...

- after swerving around it, i kept thinking, "Would it taste like beef or chicken?"

:-)

At some point in time, someone became the first person to ever eat a chicken. I wonder what he or she thought it tasted like?

At some point in time, someone became the first person to ever eat a chicken. I wonder what he or she thought it tasted like?

- an egg?

:-)

You could not buy a ticket.................................


Oh you poor, poor 50- people. Someday you too will be here...........

Saw a fox by the side of the road yesterday. But, since this is the suburbs, it was a dead fox. Yikes!
On a positive note, always lots of hawk-type raptor birds (redundant?) flying around this neck of the woods and I've yet to see one smashed on the road.

RE:Nature.

I love fireflies. They're like Mother Nature's Christmas lights.

RE:Nature.

I love fireflies. They're like Mother Nature's Christmas lights.

As a kid I used to catch them and smear them on my face. Wow! Glow-in-the-dark makeup!!

I have a MUP that starts just two tenths of a mile from my house. It is nine and a half mile round trip winding through a state park to the St. Johns River in central Fla. You see deer, wild turkey, an occassional black bear, rabbits, armadillos, opossum, racoon, and several species of endangered birds. I consider myself very fortunate, and try to ride at least four times per week.

John

As a kid I used to catch them and smear them on my face. Wow! Glow-in-the-dark makeup!!

Wow! That's cool!

I don't, in general kill insects. I usually take them outside. But there was one on the inside of my car window yesterday that was flipping its pincers at me, wanting a taste. So I hit it enthusiastically but not too hard with my palm, and broke my windshield!

Glass company, after they were done laughing, said I must have hit an invisible rock chip.

Personally, I think it was unusually fast karma.

- good story!

- ran across a gopher tortoise munching on weed next to the trail last month...

- he didn't move, just tilted his head, looked at me, then went back to grazing...

A couple of weeks ago, I pulled off the road on a bridge over a local creek. I looked down and there were two turtles making love in the water... Yes, they were doing it very slowly.

A couple of weeks ago, I pulled off the road on a bridge over a local creek. I looked down and there were two turtles making love in the water... Yes, they were doing it very slowly.
I suspect it was probably more like a sexual assault.

I can see the poor lady turtle being interviewed by the police:

"Ma'am, can you tell us what happened?"

"I just don't know, it all happened so quickly."

Saw another Kite flapping over a field looking for mice this am, right after that I saw a Raven eating a snake that I saw got squished yesterday.

I saw two coyotes Monday, and one Tuesday. And they were across the road well ahead of me, unlike all the tarantulas I dodged last week.