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2009-08-16 2:44 PM

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Extreme Veteran
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Coldstream ,BC
Subject: Holy Crap!!!
On the 40km loop that I do on my bike there is a hawk that dives at me all the time. She comes close lots of times, and I can hear the woosh as she flies over me. Today I heard the first woosh, forgetting that she would be there (haven't ridden that route in a couple weeks), but thirty seconds later I here the woosh and felt something hard crash into my helmet. The hawk actually tagged me. There were cars slowing and watching and pointing. I couldn't believe it. I spent the next kilometer hitting my brakes and ducking every time she attacked. I am sure she must be protecting babies or her territory, but wow, totally freaked me out


2009-08-16 2:48 PM
in reply to: #2351614

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Veteran
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Subject: RE: Holy Crap!!!
haha that is funny it must have been a sight to watch! must have sucked for you tho...maybe your helmet was really bright or something.
2009-08-16 2:59 PM
in reply to: #2351614

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Champion
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PA
Subject: RE: Holy Crap!!!
LOL  Awesome!  Do you have a mouse or rabbit painted on your helmet?  Smile
2009-08-16 3:16 PM
in reply to: #2351614

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Veteran
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West Hartford, CT
Subject: RE: Holy Crap!!!
Holy Crap is right! That is a crazy story - a great one atleast that you will tell for a long long time!
2009-08-16 3:19 PM
in reply to: #2351614

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Expert
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Southern Pines, NC
Subject: RE: Holy Crap!!!
Note to self--remove the lucky dead mouse from the top of my helmet.
2009-08-16 3:20 PM
in reply to: #2351614

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Master
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Sunny Southern Cal
Subject: RE: Holy Crap!!!

You should strap a video camera (pointed up) to your helmet.  That would be fun to watch.



2009-08-16 3:54 PM
in reply to: #2351614

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Pro
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the Alabama part of Pennsylvania
Subject: RE: Holy Crap!!!
I wonder what the hawk was thinking?  "Oh man - if I can get this one score, I'll be eating for weeks!"
2009-08-16 4:17 PM
in reply to: #2351614

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Expert
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Sun Prairie, WI
Subject: RE: Holy Crap!!!
I have red winged black birds making kamikaze dives at me all the time.  Normally just a straffing run, never had full contact.  I agree they are protecting their territory or babies.

2009-08-16 7:08 PM
in reply to: #2351614

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SoCal
Subject: RE: Holy Crap!!!
haha!  that's too funny!  

i was dive-bombed by a bird in one of my ocean swims a couple weeks ago.  that'll scare ya.  instead of hitting me on the head, though, seemed like it changed its mind at the last minute and swooped down just poking into the water right next to me.  my bf was watching from shore - apparently it was a pretty entertaining sight.   
2009-08-16 10:09 PM
in reply to: #2351614

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Regular
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San Diego, CA
Subject: RE: Holy Crap!!!
Bring a fly swatter next time.  Survival of the fittest, right?
2009-08-16 10:30 PM
in reply to: #2351614

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Subject: RE: Holy Crap!!!
Yes, holy crap... I would probably never ride that route again!!  I had a similar experience- some big bird chased me once when I was running- at first I just kept hearing squawking and saw a shadow of a bird above my head- I assumed it was right near me so I freaked out and ran across the street, tripping over the curb and falling on my butt.  Some guy walking his dog was looking at me funny, so I quickly defended myself saying that there was a bird chasing me.  He said he saw no bird, he just saw me running across the street flailing my arms and then trip and fall.  And the bird was gone, so I just assumed I was being paranoid and ran off embarrassed.  But then on my way back, I heard the squawking again.  Since my shadow was behind me this time I turned around and sure enough- there it was about 3-5 feet behind me, chasing me down the road.  I just started sprinting to get away... I'm sure that the bird was just trying to protect her nest and gave up on me once I wasn't a threat- I know I'm not fast enough to out-run a bird!!


2009-08-16 11:23 PM
in reply to: #2351614

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Atlanta
Subject: RE: Holy Crap!!!

I've been there too.  Apparently the area I like to bike through next to the beach is a bird sanctuary of some kind.  There was a whole flock of those little seagull birds diving for my head.  I finally took off my helmet and started swinging it around my head and I tried to pedal it back home.  Seagull squaking still freaks me out.  Birds are nuts.

2009-08-17 7:06 AM
in reply to: #2351614

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Master
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Subject: RE: Holy Crap!!!
Rubber band some fresh roadkill to the top of your helmet. Works like a charm.

Please post a video.
2009-08-17 10:30 AM
in reply to: #2351614

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Master
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Lake Norman, NC
Subject: RE: Holy Crap!!!

Ha ha!  That's GREAT!  My two "bird attack stories":

We were at Sea World in Orlando several years ago.  We're eating ice cream cones as we walk along and a seagull flies in and lands on my head.  Just lands and decides to sit on my big, fat head like it's a pier!  "WTF?" I say to Amy who's on the ground laughing her off!  Even Gracie, 3 at the time, was cracking up!  I reach up, get a hold of the thing by the legs, pull him off my head and look him straight in the eye like I'm going to intimidate him.  The damn bird looks straight back at me and lightning fast beack-butts me in the nose!  He flies away leaving me with a little bloody cut on my nose.  Amy's practically peeing herself and Gracie's laughing out, "bird gave Daddy a nosey boo-boo!"  All I could do was just stand there like an idiot until it hit me and then join them laughing.

When I was about 9 I was walking from school to the babysitters house.  Walk in the yard and under the tree near the wood pile I see something.  It's a little blue broken egg and a baby bird next to it.  I didn't make the connection that it was a baby Blue Jay.  But when mama Blue Jay flew down, grabbed my scalp with her talons and started pecking at my skull, I made the connection all right!  I still remember that pain.  In a panic I reached out and grabbed the first thing I could get my hands on - a log from the wood pile and swung for the fences at that bird from hell.  I connected all right, straight down.  Crushed the bird and whacked myself in the noggin hard enough to knock myself out cold!  Babysitter comes running outside after hearing me screaming and sees me on the ground, unconsicous, head bleeding, a dead bird and feathers everywhere!  What to think?  I woke up in the hospital to embarrassed to tell anyone the truth at what happened.  Dumb-arse kid!

I haven't done so well with birds in my days.  Wink
 

2009-08-17 10:35 AM
in reply to: #2351614

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Regular
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Carrollton, TX
Subject: RE: Holy Crap!!!
There are lots of bats that like to hang out under an underpass that I sometimes bike through....not a lot of fun.
2009-08-17 10:43 AM
in reply to: #2351614

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Member
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Taylorsville, KY
Subject: RE: Holy Crap!!!
I get attacked by red winged blackbirds on my most common training run.  They never touch me, just do fly bys and dives.  When I run in late afternoon, I can watch their shadows chasing me as I go by.  Always gives me extra motivation to pick-up the pace.


2009-08-17 10:45 AM
in reply to: #2353038

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Master
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Fulton, MD
Subject: RE: Holy Crap!!!
LOL, that is funny. 

My only bird story was a few years ago.  I was running, uphill, very slowly in the heat.  3 Vultures were circling above me for miles.  I just kept looking up and yelling at them "I'm not dead yet!"
2009-08-17 10:54 AM
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Pro
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Subject: RE: Holy Crap!!!
That's ridiculous! and scary ! (and also kind of funny)
2009-08-17 11:46 AM
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Master
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Toronto
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Subject: RE: Holy Crap!!!
Think she might be jealous of your bike? Wink
2009-08-17 12:07 PM
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Subject: RE: Holy Crap!!!
The other morning I was running at 5:30 in the pitch black and a black cat came out of nowhere and started running along side me then started to try and attack my leg. It scared the crap out of me at first but then it was just annoying. I may or may not have kicked it,Wink on accident of course. I had to speed up the pace so it wouldn't cross in front of me. Who needs the extra bad luck.
2009-08-17 12:21 PM
in reply to: #2351614

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Master
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North Alabama
Subject: RE: Holy Crap!!!
The only bird attack I've had was a turkey coming through the windshield of my truck. Not quite as funny as being dive bombed!

Post video next time!


2009-08-17 1:03 PM
in reply to: #2351614

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western iowa, almost nebraska.
Subject: RE: Holy Crap!!!
Red Winged black birds had nested next to the bike trail I train on all the time. When the babies hatched, the mothers would dive bomb you while you were running by. I didn't think much of it, since I ran that route everyday. A couple weeks back, as i was running, another runner coming at me from the other direction was getting dive bombed, I laughed and kept going. Well, I shouldn't have laughed, becuase she hit me square in the top of the head. Must have been beek down, becuase it left a little divot in my head and a some blood. I was wearing a visor, so from the top it probably looked like a great target!!!! switched run courses for a week or so, and they are gone now. And I thought i was the only one!
2009-08-17 1:15 PM
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Subject: RE: Holy Crap!!!
That definitely would have freaked me out and raised my heart-rate to something probably too uncomfortable to keep running.

My question is:  What exactly was attracting the bird to you?  Was it your colors?  Was there a next nearby?  Seems odd that it would continue to follow you for a period of time.
2009-08-17 7:53 PM
in reply to: #2353019

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Master
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Subject: RE: Holy Crap!!!
Bigfuzzydoug - 2009-08-17 10:30 AM

"bird gave Daddy a nosey boo-boo!" 

  Babysitter comes running outside after hearing me screaming and sees me on the ground, unconsicous, head bleeding, a dead bird and feathers everywhere!  What to think?  I woke up in the hospital to embarrassed to tell anyone the truth at what happened.  Dumb-arse kid!

I haven't done so well with birds in my days.  Wink



I am with your wife and Gracie, that is priceless. plus, at least you had  a bird to blame for knocking yourself out. I have done that a couple times with no animals to attack.
2009-08-17 7:58 PM
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Subject: RE: Holy Crap!!!
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