While riding my bicycle, I've been chased by girlfriends, cops, boyfriends, dogs, an ex and drivers who seemed to want nothing more than to intimidate or harass me or any other cyclist they happened to see.
I must, say, though, I have never been chased by turkeys:
"Turkey's chasing bicycle". Hmm...That doesn't seem like a fair fight: a whole country in pursuit of one cyclist.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I must, say, though, I have never been chased by turkeys:
"Turkey's chasing bicycle". Hmm...That doesn't seem like a fair fight: a whole country in pursuit of one cyclist.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Twice I have been shadowed by seagulls. Both times I was riding on the shore (of the Baltic) and on a long straight stretch of the road a seagull started flying right next to me, about one meter higher than me and three meters to my left. They slowed down and kept exactly even with me. I speeded up and the gull speeded up. Every so often it would look over at me and our eyes would meet. The encounters lasted several minutes. Never felt threatened. They are big birds. You don't realise this until you see one up real close.
ReplyDeleteCome to think of it, I had a similar encounter with a large adult eagle about 15 years ago. But I was stationary, setting on the top of a large boulder ( the size of a house), and it flew by to look me over, passed within two meters of me and our eyes met. She ( I found out later it was new to the area, a female) made a deep throated "cluck" as she looked at me. I've never been quite the same ever since.
Leo
Leo--Now that I think of it, I have been shadowed by seagulls. They are indeed bigger than you realized when you see them up-close.
ReplyDeleteNow, coming close to an eagle: That's something to remember!
The eagle encounter - to visualise it better:
ReplyDeleteI was walking through a pine forest, came upon a very large boulder and I climbed it to get a better view of the terrain. My perch on the top of the boulder was just at tree-top level. I sat there in the sun for a while, and heard a swishing sound behind me. I turned and saw the eagle. I think she was as startled as I was. She banked and turned around me, making a 45 degree turn with her head turned, looking at me. She made the sound as she turned. Her wing tip was about two meters away.
Are gulls big birds? Yes. But eagles might have gulls for lunch. Her wing span was about three meters.
Leo