Wildlife watch!

[just4tehhalibut]

This happened earlier this year on the Kwinana FWY bike path going south, just past Thomas.

That emu belongs with its mates on McLaughlan Rd, the other side of the Spectacles from the freeway and about a km away. Certainly strayed where no feather duster should go.

[just4tehhalibut]

Had a bat fly into my handlebars this morning. It flew in, must have been chasing a moth, hit the centre of the bars, grappled my GPS and hung on flapping about and kept hanging on. I let go of the handlebars, leaned away (where can you go on a moving bike?) and could only sit there swearing at it and waiting for the return of my bike. You could see my headlight through its wings. Eventually it flew off to one side, thankfully not at me. Needle-teethed rats with wings.

[Lizzy]

Whoa, I would have freaked right the heck out!

[MarkG]

Had a bat fly into my handlebars this morning. It flew in, must have been chasing a moth, hit the centre of the bars, grappled my GPS and hung on flapping about and kept hanging on. I let go of the handlebars, leaned away (where can you go on a moving bike?) and could only sit there swearing at it and waiting for the return of my bike. You could see my headlight through its wings. Eventually it flew off to one side, thankfully not at me. Needle-teethed rats with wings.

.. and rabies!!

[macca33]

Thread dig as a result of a search!

Whilst I was not involved (luckily for me) there have been a few incidents in the West Gippy area in the past week - a wombat struck by 3 riders leaving one with a broken clavicle and others with soreness (one of whom had two wildlife experiences only days apart, unfortunately); a kangaroo leapt into another rider and knocked him off; and lastly, a stray duck almost caused a young bloke to come a gutser.

Just goes to show that one has to try and have eyes in the front / sides / back of their head and even then, try not to be unlucky.

cheers

[BandedRail]

Well, some good news for WA riders - the last wombat (in the wild) was ca. 5000 years ago. But yes, ducks & skippys are still a hazard. Watch out for Coots at the moment, I've seen a few dead ones beside the shared path near the Burswood Casino recently (can't prove it was bike-related but chances are high). And the mountain ducks are starting to get territorial again, the males are a tad obssesive when it comers to protecting their mate (good one 'em).