Right on, a California condor!!1!!!

I found a nice pair of sunglasses once. 10 miles from the nearest other person. So they became mine.

Why tag a vulture? Just curious.

It's a California Condor. It was extinct in the wild at one point, and is being re- introduced in some areas.

Damn!
They were down to 27 individuals at one point, but are now up to 446: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_condor

Unless all 446 of them are in one area, that's a pretty rare bird to see up close.

I just read (some of) the wikipedia article on the California Condor. Fantastic. We have plenty of turkey vultures here in the northeast, and I love watching them. My wife and I came upon a large flock of them eating a rabbit on the road. Most of the retreated from us, but three stayed. Best of all is watching them soar. They stay in the air for hours without flapping.

...I can't even...

I still think that "found" on the ground while riding implies that it is something that you could pick up and take with you if you chose to do so. I've "seen" lots of weird things of the ground while riding but that doesn't mean I "found" them because I wouldn't or couldn't take them with me (and when riding a bike with an empty cargo trailer that can haul up to 300 pounds there is a lot I "could" take but still wouldn't).

I try not to look at stuff by the side of the road, because it tends to be disgusting more often than not. Today, I dropped the car off for an inspection and riding back there was someone's bike chain in the middle of the road. Like the one that is in the drivetrain under normal use

I have some McGyver genes in me.

A while ago, I broke a critical buckle on my backpack. Within 100 yards, I found one of those heavy wire rings that I think come from hub caps. A bit of bending and got my backpack to hold together.

Another trip, dealing with a sidewall (bead) blowout, I started with electrical tape and a stretchy cotton rag stuffed inside. As I headed down the road, I was constantly scanning for better booting material. A school flag was much less stretchy and went in. Some thin rubbery cord showed up, and was wrapped around the outside of the tire and rim, taped up, and a brake pad removed.

Anyway, by the time I rolled into the nearest bike shop, I had the oddest looking boot, but it got me there. The guys in the shop suggested Gorilla Tape next time.

Last year I was riding with my wife when she passed a CD case filled with someone's music collection. Most of it was pretty edgy but I picked it up and assimilated that which was acceptable. I've saved the case for future use, which looks like it'll be never because of my iphone and digital music collection.


I've picked up coins that don't amount to $1.00 but I'm still not passing up money, no matter how small a denomination.


Most recently, I've picked up 2 Yeti coffee cup lids, in the same vicinity, near the local high school. I've thrown them away since I don't have a Yeti cup, but it freaks me out because they're so expensive to begin with...strange to find two within 200 yards of each other.

You've just ensured that if you ever get a Yeti, you'll lose the lid :-) I know the feeling though. Two or three times I've found water bottles without tops, or tops without bottles. It seems like hoarding to keep them, so I generally don't even pick them up.

I found a Bontrager bike computer, just the display/computer part. I was pretty enthusiastic until I found out that buying the sensors and mount was about the same as buying the complete computer.

Somewhere in this section there is another thread about unusual things you've seen while riding. Like a dead body floating in the river and other things people saw but didn't find.

Yeah, I've seen a lot of things while riding that I didn't "find".

There were about 20 or so in the area (I didn't count, but that was my impression).

I spot kids/baby shoes along the MUP quite frequently. Kids in strollers are fond of rubbing their feet together which knocks their shoe off. Seen it happen. It's one of those things kids instinctively know how to do in order to drive their parents crazy.

In the garage we have two boxcutters/utility knives, one red, one black. I find that the red one has no blade, and the black one is missing. So I go buy blades.

This morning, the universe gives me a decent black Stanley boxcutter, one blade in the front, one spare in the body!

Did you find this 'new' black one anywhere near where you last saw the old one?

lol, no, two totally different black ones. Previous one was a Husky-brand folder (which I had also found on the street); new one is a more traditional rigid one with a sliding thumbswitch. I'm sure the folder will turn up eventually, I used it on Monday night, and I'm pretty sure I put it away...

A nice watch that I gave to my GF at the time. $10. $20. A Lezyne bike light holder. Tons of single gloves. Mismatched $ Nike athletic socks. A Nike dri fit shirt.

While walking my dogs: iPod nano, classic iPod, Oakley Radars. All of these were on the local $$$ university campus. I joke that the students come from such wealth that when their iPod loses all its charge, they throw it out the dorm window and order a new one.

Today, a medium sized, filthy Bell saddle bag right in the middle of the MUP. I opened it to find several plastic blue sticks... not Park tire levers but disposable shavers, and under those a well-used glass pipe. I threw it into the bushes rather than explore any further.

In stead of tossing it in the bushes, so some kid could find that kind of stuff. You should have taken it home, and then thrown it in the trash.

I agree that kind of items, is not something that you want to be holding on to. At least you could have found a big dumpster and put it there instead.. Sorry, I just think that putting something in the bushes that could in danger a child is wrong. I know that you did not know what was totally in there.. Sorry I will get off my soap box...

on the roadside on us route 6 in illinois saw several gay porno mags. looked like someone tossed them out of the car as they drove.

I agree/disagree. Once the items in the bag were identified he should NOT have taken possession of the bag. And he should NOT have taken it home to dispose of. What he should have done was once he realized what was in the bag was to drop it, and call either 911 or the non-emergency number and reported it to the police.

Had he taken possession of the bag to dispose of, and is while either on his way home or while looking for a dumpster he is pulled over by an overzealous LEO how likely do you think it is that he'd be able to explain that the bag wasn't his and that he was "just" looking for someplace to dispose of it?

It would have been better to call either 911 or the non-emergency number report it, and inform them that he would remain on the scene to "secure" it as it were.