no motor?

A couple of years ago I'd taken the long way home and had swung by the credit union. The route home had a nice long section that ran along a creek, and I heard a loud splash like something had just belly flopped into the creek seconds after I rode past this one part. I'm not sure what I scared in the dark but I think it got pretty spooked by me and my lights and hopped into the creek to get away.

rhm

oh yeah, there are things that go Splash! in the night. Couple years ago on the same canal mentioned, I saw something big ducking behind a tree. I thought I'd see it when I went by, but just at that moment there was an enormous splash! and no animal. Well, thought I, I have time. So I waited to see what came up. And I waited. I looked up the canal, and down, and up again. Nothing to see. Nothing. Nothing, well, nothing but that one goose. Goose? I don't think there was a goose there, last time I looked.

Korina

There was that one time, (at band camp?) when the hubster and I found muddy bear tracks on the road that goes through the Arcata marsh; it would have had to walk through town to get there.

We're pretty rural out here, with lots of dairy cattle and their pastures, and Humboldt State University; all this ends up with many feral cats, some of whom end up on the road. I still feel sorry for that beautiful little black one I passed on the highway on-ramp. It was a large kitten or small cat, black as midnight, with short, velvety fur, that had obviously been very recently killed. We won't talk about the one caught in the rumble strip. blech

HardyWeinberg

Passed a chicken on the loose and a roadkill weasel today (vs usual roadkill squirrels possums and raccoons)

noglider 

Last night on the way home from work, there were a few seagulls floating in the river. One of them had a herring in his mouth. He looked like he had a puzzle to solve. How can he eat it without dropping it? I hope he flew to dry land.

rumrunn6

the other day, on the Bruce Freeman, maybe around Carlisle? this is what I saw in silhouette up ahead on the trail

crossing left to right
hop, hop, hop ... what looked like a small bunny crossed the trail
then immediately behind it ...
LEAP! LEAP! in just two jumps what looked like a giant frog crossed the distance & was chasing the small bunny

it was almost like seeing a UFO, was it real? yup. do I have proof? nope. any pics of frogs eating bunnies on the internet? nope.

if a baby bunny is dumb enough, can a frog big enough, eat it?

CreakingCrank

Had a wonderful wildlife encounter this morning, right in the middle of 100 yard long wooden bridge. A porcupine came waddling toward me from the other side. We both stopped in Mexican standoff form. I said YOU back up and he said NO, YOU back up. Actually that didn't happen but when I turned to back-track to let him cross, several other runners and bikes had started crossing behind me. Ultimately he turned around and waddled along the edge letting me and others pass. He didn't seem too afraid but then again, why would he be? First porcupine I've seen commuting. Too cool.

rumrunn6

haha, safety in numbers. nice that it wasn't deterred by you humans! btw I was once quilled by a dead porcupine! I got too close to a road kill (giant) to take a photo & I don't know how, but I got quilled by 2 painful quills!

Hasselhof

I live in Canberra, Australia and it's winter down here. That means cold morning bike commutes in the fog where you spend half your time hoping the shape looming out of the dark towards you isn't an Eastern Grey Kangaroo. They have small brains, erratic personalities and the ability to jump along far quicker than I can ride. I haven't hit one here yet (I have while living elsewhere in Australia and still have the misformed bumps of poorly healed broken bones in my hand as a memento), but I suspect it's only a matter of time.

noglider 

I love wildlife. I really do. But I do not enjoy seeing two rats together on my commute. New York City could change its name to New Rat City. The city is addressing the rat overpopulation, and not a moment too soon.

noglider 

I'm in the country (High Falls, NY) this weekend, and I like most of the wildlife I see here. Yesterday I saw a lone deer, and then later I saw a pair of deer, all pretty close to the road. They all moved away from the road when they heard or saw me. I said hi to them, and I admire them, but this is another overpopulation problem. They are a danger to us and to themselves. People around here hunt, and as far as I'm concerned, not enough people do. I've become pro-hunting!

A chipmunk ran in front of me. They're so cute, and they've never done anything annoying to me.

Daniel4

Toronto: White tail deer, rabbit, squirrels, chipmunks, ducks.

In Anchorage, Alaska I've seen a mother moose and her calf. And down the trail probably the father.

rumrunn6

get ready for the impending Ratpocalypse. Boston will be in trouble too

https://www.quora.com/Ratpocalypse-A...y-already-have

and what the heck is a Nutria?

https://www.thedailybeast.com/mutant...over-the-world

GeneO 

A live skunk?

Korina

Yep, looks pretty alive to me.

Korina

Actual wildlife! This morning I came within 10 feet of a deer. Somehow we managed not to startle each other; more mild surprise. Pretty cool.

Wolfhaven

I've seen quite the mix riding to/from work. The usual deer, ducks, geese, swans, turkeys, grouse, skunks, coyotes, rabbits, and bear. More rare but have spooked two different timber wolves, one brown and the other black. The brown I saw several times. Unfortunately the DNR was forced to shoot the black wolf after he became too fond of the railroad workers in the rail yard. Deer in the spring can be a nuisance and have forced me to stop while a small herd will run next to me and then start crossing the road in front of me. I see the deer in farm fields and even in the city section of my ride.

noglider 

Great shot of the skunk, @GeneO.

no motor?

Chicago has been using feral cats to help control the rat population, and it's been working well.

I used to have a small jet black cat. I thought I saw her when I was riding home from my girlfriends house one night when I realized that was a skunk and not her. The wide angle lens on the Magicshine really helps to spot them before I get too close,

rumrunn6

I saw a bear. OK, it wasn't on a bike commute & it was wasn't a wild bear. But it sure was cute. Last time I was at Clark's Trading Post (Lincoln NH) may have been 52 years ago

GeneO 

From early spring...

DanBraden

Well, I saw Sean Spicer on the Walnut Creek Trail on my way to Pflugerville on Monday... Or maybe it was Greg Abbot... Coulda' been Ted Cruz... I'm leaning towards the former Snekretary due to his ousting and unemployment

noglider 

This evening on the way home from work, I ran into a friend on the river path. We stood around and talked. As we stood there, I saw a small flock of geese acting like silly geese. One of them kept crossing over the path to the grass on the other side, as if she was trying to convince them that the grass tasted better there. And she kept getting dodged by the cyclists and joggers, and she was pretty bad at dodging them. I thought I would help the geese, so I ran up to them and chased them onto the maverick goose's favorite side. I don't remember herding them in front of the cyclists as you see me here. Anyway, it didn't work. After a minute, they went back to the river side, with the one maverick goose crossing back and forth. I guess that's why they're called silly geese.

SactoDoug

I saw some jack rabbits and turkeys in the morning.

DanBraden

When it comes to herding birds, you should just "Remember your Charlemagne"