Pigeon!!!

Message

sfoley1 · #1 Post by **sfoley1** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 9:07 am

Riding through Farringdon (Laaaannddaaannn) this morning and got hit on the head by a pigeon.

Didn't hurt, found it quite amusing really as I'm sure did anyone else who witnessed it.

Would rather that any day than that bloody wasp incident.

In 8 years of Laaannnddaaann commuting that is the first time that's happened, they usually manage to just about get of the way.

scorpio24v · #2 Post by **scorpio24v** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 9:26 am

Lucky escape mate, these things are like missiles, or should that be Hittiles when they hit you at speed, and the mess, yuck. Is this the first time you have been hit?

I go out early in the morning to ensure traffic free roads, but the animals are still asleep. last year I caught a bird on my clutch lever, went right through it, blood and guts all over my nice new Roo skin gloves.

sfoley1 · #3 Post by **sfoley1** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 9:52 am

Yep, first time hit.

I doubt I'd have found it funny had I been doing more than 20mph and it was more than a glancing blow.

I once nearly went in to the back of a horse that happened to be round the end of a bend on a country lane. That really was a close one, thankfully I wasn't going particularly quickly then either.

You hear occasionally about deer jumping on cars, that does cross my mind when I'm on a nice clear country B road on the bike.

Fingers and everything else crossed eh!!!

Falken · #4 Post by **Falken** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 2:00 pm

I've hit two pigeons whilst riding.
The first was a right mess, just come around a corner to discover a long straight which had just been re-surfaced.
So, gave it a handful, last looked at the speedo as it was into three figures when it appeared out of a hedge.
It hit the nearside mirror and then my shoulder, but i was still upright so kept going on my way to the coast.
About 15 miles down the road i got a funny smell in my helmet.
When i stopped i was covered in blood and guts, and had to pull into a garage to get some water to clean my kit.

Second time was on the way to the North West 200 last year.
Had't even got out of Chesterfield when i saw it coming at me.
I ducked but it hit the top of my helmet.
When we stopped my mates were still laughing as the pulled the feathers out of the vents in my lid.

Just goes to show these Falco's can catch pigeons

scorpio24v · #5 Post by **scorpio24v** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 2:18 pm

seems quite common then. I`d rather hit a Pigeon than a horse though, horses have hugely more blood and guts and would prolly need a little more than a garage wet wipe to clean it all off

Falco is Italian for Falcon. the raptor, Given that Falcons eat Pigeons, and any any other thing they can swoop down on at high speed and cart off for later, its not realy surprising that our Birds have a taste for em

Samray · #6 Post by **Samray** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 3:42 pm

I'm anticipating Dale's tales of Oz wildlife now.

Aladinsaneuk · #7 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 3:45 pm

pigeons?

pah

i hit a pheasant while in an old hillman hunter - took the wing off...

Falcopops · #8 Post by **Falcopops** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 3:58 pm

Samray wrote:I'm anticipating Dale's tales of Oz wildlife now.

Had a Helmet/Pheasant interface in Bedfordshire once. Although the pheasant came second, my underwear was a close third.

Oddly enough I've not had any up close and personal encounters with the indigenous species while on the bike. Not counting the flies (no real difference to those in blighty, just a shit load more of them) and big bastard bugs at night. No idea what they are, but they are about this big (arms stretched wide) when splatted on my visor.

However a mate who lives in the hills and rides a Harley (que duelling banjos tune and visions of dodgy bloges with bad teeth) refuses to ride at dusk due to the roos. Apparently they are the exact same as rabbits, catch them in the lights and they will head straight for you. Big difference in size and weight though, even with the little ones down south. You should see the size of the big F"*KKers up north.

sfoley1 · #9 Post by **sfoley1** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 4:03 pm

Somehow I think I'd rather chance my luck with London Cabs every day than Kangaroos

scorpio24v · #10 Post by **scorpio24v** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 4:34 pm

Aladinsaneuk wrote:pigeons?

pah

i hit a pheasant while in an old hillman hunter - took the wing off...

Took the wing off the car or the bird?

Samray · #11 Post by **Samray** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 4:40 pm

Christine (the killer van) lost her good looks to a pheasant the first week I had her. Clean through the front bodywork.

well, not so clean actually.

Nooj · #12 Post by **Nooj** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 6:06 pm

I usually wipe out one pigeon a month in the car. They just sit in the road first thing in the morning, most of them fly off at the last second but every now and again one will just stay put so: 'DUMPH!' and it explodes in a ball of feathers.

Viking · #13 Post by **Viking** » Thu Aug 13, 2009 12:07 am

Yes, you do have to watch the wildlife here. Especially at dusk and dawn.

When I did the Eclipse Trip (home to Woomera and back again) in 2002 I was amazed at how much roadkill there was out there. It went something like roo, roo, wallaby, roo, emu, dingo, roo, roo, cow, roo, etc for miles and miles. Thankfully there were no close calls!

Oh, and you have to watch out for the galahs and cockatoos. They're the stupidest birds in the world - they will actually try to fly into you rather than avoid you.

Ozboy · #14 Post by **Ozboy** » Thu Aug 13, 2009 8:28 pm

....just to keep in the spirit of my wildlife's bigger than yours I managed to take out a wallaby (small roo) with the Duke when I was back in Oz. I'll happilyl argue with Viking that roos and wallabies are the dumbest beasts going as they often will make 90 degree kamikaze dives into cars......or bikes. Had just passed corner apex and getting on the gas when I see the wallaby in the undergrowth at the side of the road. He looks at me, thinks about it and then decides to hop out into the middle of the road. Not much I could do as it was a single lane road and still coming out of the corner, so just closed the eyes and braced for impact. At the last second he thought and better of it and made the lunge back off the road. Front wheel clips his head, bit of a wobble and pull up just down the road. One dead wallaby, cracked front guard, soiled undies! I think I'll take the pidgeon

Viking · #15 Post by **Viking** » Thu Aug 13, 2009 10:54 pm

I think this guy would take the pigeon any day...

Link to original article

The Brisbane Times wrote:Motorcyclist injured in collision with cow

A motorcyclist has been airlifted to hospital after hitting a cow on a road south-west of Ipswich.

The collision happened on Grandchester Mt Mort Road near Laidley about 8.45am today, Emergency Services said.

The 42-year-old man suffered a compound fracture to his lower leg.

He was picked up by the Emergency Management Queensland helicopter and taken to the Princess Alexandra Hospital.