Bird road rage (H****T content)

[MartinM]

A Buzzard in Holsworthy Devon has been attacking local cyclists
including a 65 year old gent who received a 4" gash to his head.
Cyclists have been advised to paint two eyes on their helmets!

[Simonb]

MartinM wrote:

> Holsworthy Devon

That's where we're going for our summer holiday!

> Cyclists have been advised to paint two eyes on their helmets!

Or carry an airgun.

[Dave Kahn]

On Fri, 11 Jun 2004 09:04:07 +0100, "Simonb"
> wrote:

>MartinM wrote:
>
>> Holsworthy Devon
>
>That's where we're going for our summer holiday!
>
>> Cyclists have been advised to paint two eyes on their helmets!
>
>Or carry an airgun.

That won't do you any good. You won't see it coming. And if you can
hit a swooping buzzard with an air gun while riding a bike I will be
most impressed. :-)

--
Dave...

Get a bicycle. You will not regret it. If you live. - Mark Twain

[Mark South]

"Simonb" > wrote in message
.. .
> MartinM wrote:
>
> > Holsworthy Devon
>
> That's where we're going for our summer holiday!
>
> > Cyclists have been advised to paint two eyes on their helmets!
>
> Or carry an airgun.

Please don't joke about shooting raptors, unless you actually think plagues of
rodents are a good thing.
--
Mark South: World Citizen, Net Denizen

[Simonb]

Mark South wrote:
> "Simonb" > wrote in message
> .. .
>> MartinM wrote:
>>
>>> Holsworthy Devon
>>
>> That's where we're going for our summer holiday!
>>
>>> Cyclists have been advised to paint two eyes on their helmets!
>>
>> Or carry an airgun.
>
> Please don't joke about shooting raptors, unless you actually think
> plagues of rodents are a good thing.

But birds are just rodents with wings.

[Just zis Guy, you know?]

MartinM wrote:

> A Buzzard in Holsworthy Devon has been attacking local cyclists
> including a 65 year old gent who received a 4" gash to his head.
> Cyclists have been advised to paint two eyes on their helmets!

Obviously painting eyes on the top of any other form of hat has been tested
and proven to be less effective...

--
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

Victory is ours! Down with Eric the Half A Brain!

[Succorso]

Simonb wrote:
>
>
> But birds are just rodents with wings.
>
>

Ah - but Raptors are very good at killing Squirrels, so you should be
nice to them.

Not sure about Buzzards, but I've been "buzzed" by Barn Owls a couple of
times recently.

We do have some excellent birds in this country; both feathered and
non-feathered varieties...

--
Chris

[Colin Blackburn]

On Fri, 11 Jun 2004 12:09:20 +0100, Succorso > wrote:

> Simonb wrote:
>> But birds are just rodents with wings.
>>
>
> Ah - but Raptors are very good at killing Squirrels, so you should be
> nice to them.
>
> Not sure about Buzzards, but I've been "buzzed" by Barn Owls a couple of
> times recently.

I regularly get buzzed by curlews and lapwings. It can be quite nice
having a lapwing wheeling through the air trying to draw me down the road
and away from its chicks.

Colin

[James Annan]

Mark South wrote:


> Please don't joke about shooting raptors, unless you actually think plagues of
> rodents are a good thing.

Do buzzards really count as raptors? I thought they were just crows with
good PR.

James

[Robert Bruce]

mae > wedi ysgrifennu:
> Mark South wrote:
>
>
>> Please don't joke about shooting raptors, unless you actually think
>> plagues of rodents are a good thing.
>
> Do buzzards really count as raptors? I thought they were just crows
> with good PR.
>
> James

http://www.rspb.org/birds/guide/b/buzzard/index.asp

Buzzard
Buteo buteo
AKA: Common buzzard
The commonest UK bird of prey, it is quite large with broad, rounded wings,
and a short neck and tail.


--
Rob

Please keep conversations in the newsgroup so that all may contribute
and benefit.

[FranklynMint]

Martinm wrote:
> Cyclists have been advised to paint two eyes on their helmets!

But how would the buzzard see down their shorts


-

[Simonb]

FranklynMint wrote:
> Martinm wrote:
> > Cyclists have been advised to paint two eyes on their helmets!
>
> But how would the buzzard see down their shorts?

That's easy! Buzzards don't wear shorts.

[David Hansen]

On Fri, 11 Jun 2004 08:15:56 GMT someone who may be Dave Kahn
> wrote this:-

>>Or carry an airgun.
>
>That won't do you any good. You won't see it coming. And if you can
>hit a swooping buzzard with an air gun while riding a bike I will be
>most impressed. :-)

A small net, arranged above the head. Then the bird can be cooked
for tea.


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.

[Robert Bruce]

mae > wedi ysgrifennu:
> MartinM wrote:
>
>> A Buzzard in Holsworthy Devon has been attacking local cyclists
>> including a 65 year old gent who received a 4" gash to his head.
>> Cyclists have been advised to paint two eyes on their helmets!
>
> Obviously painting eyes on the top of any other form of hat has been
> tested and proven to be less effective...

Just back from my lunchtime ride. Two Buzzards, a Red Kite and an RAF
Tornado, none of which thought I was worth attacking. Must have been my
ancient GAN team cap.

--
Rob

Please keep conversations in the newsgroup so that all may contribute
and benefit.

[Dave Kahn]

On Fri, 11 Jun 2004 14:07:03 +0100, David Hansen
> wrote:

>On Fri, 11 Jun 2004 08:15:56 GMT someone who may be Dave Kahn
> wrote this:-
>
>>>Or carry an airgun.
>>
>>That won't do you any good. You won't see it coming. And if you can
>>hit a swooping buzzard with an air gun while riding a bike I will be
>>most impressed. :-)
>
>A small net, arranged above the head. Then the bird can be cooked
>for tea.

Also useful at the end of the ride if you want to draw a veil over
your performance.

--
Dave...

Get a bicycle. You will not regret it. If you live. - Mark Twain

[Dave Kahn]

On Fri, 11 Jun 2004 11:32:14 +0100, "Just zis Guy, you know?"
> wrote:

>MartinM wrote:
>
>> A Buzzard in Holsworthy Devon has been attacking local cyclists
>> including a 65 year old gent who received a 4" gash to his head.
>> Cyclists have been advised to paint two eyes on their helmets!
>
>Obviously painting eyes on the top of any other form of hat has been tested
>and proven to be less effective...

Really you just need eyes in the back of your head.

--
Dave...

Get a bicycle. You will not regret it. If you live. - Mark Twain

[MartinM]

"Just zis Guy, you know?" > wrote in message >...
> MartinM wrote:
>
> > A Buzzard in Holsworthy Devon has been attacking local cyclists
> > including a 65 year old gent who received a 4" gash to his head.
> > Cyclists have been advised to paint two eyes on their helmets!
>
> Obviously painting eyes on the top of any other form of hat has been tested
> and proven to be less effective...

Of course some of us would be able to apply the eyes directly to bald pate ;-)

[Mark South]

"James Annan" > wrote in message
...
> Mark South wrote:
>
> > Please don't joke about shooting raptors, unless you actually think plagues
of
> > rodents are a good thing.
>
> Do buzzards really count as raptors? I thought they were just crows with
> good PR.

This is just great: let's lose the image of cycling as an ecologically friendly
activity, shall we? After all, our support is so overwhelming across the
population that we can afford to alienate a bunch of the public whenever we feel
like....
--
Mark South: World Citizen, Net Denizen

[Simonb]

Mark South wrote:

> This is just great: let's lose the image of cycling as an
> ecologically friendly activity, shall we? After all, our support is
> so overwhelming across the population that we can afford to alienate
> a bunch of the public whenever we feel like....

This is between us and the faux-eagles, I know where my loyalties lie.

[James Annan]

Robert Bruce wrote:

>
> http://www.rspb.org/birds/guide/b/buzzard/index.asp
>
> Buzzard
> Buteo buteo
> AKA: Common buzzard
> The commonest UK bird of prey, it is quite large with broad, rounded wings,
> and a short neck and tail.

Well I knew that, but was under the (apparently mistaken) that their
diet was mainly carrion. (In fact it appears that their diet _was_
largely carrion a few decades back due to myxomatosis cutting rabbit
numbers.) Of course I'm not really suggesting shooting them, but they
are hardly in short supply!

James

[Tony Raven]

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
> MartinM wrote:
>
>> A Buzzard in Holsworthy Devon has been attacking local cyclists
>> including a 65 year old gent who received a 4" gash to his head.
>> Cyclists have been advised to paint two eyes on their helmets!
>
> Obviously painting eyes on the top of any other form of hat has been tested
> and proven to be less effective...

I'm going to try painting truck headlights on the top of mine and see if it
works to scare the cars off.

Tony ;-)

[Mark South]

"James Annan" > wrote in message
...
> Robert Bruce wrote:
>
> > http://www.rspb.org/birds/guide/b/buzzard/index.asp
> >
> > Buzzard
> > Buteo buteo
> > AKA: Common buzzard
> > The commonest UK bird of prey, it is quite large with broad, rounded wings,
> > and a short neck and tail.
>
> Well I knew that, but was under the (apparently mistaken) that their
> diet was mainly carrion. (In fact it appears that their diet _was_
> largely carrion a few decades back due to myxomatosis cutting rabbit
> numbers.) Of course I'm not really suggesting shooting them, but they
> are hardly in short supply!

Most large raptors will take carrion if it's available. Birds are as lazy as
humns.
--
"A kilt opens up new possibilities."
- Gary D. Schwartz in rec.backcountry

[James Annan]

Mark South wrote:


> Most large raptors will take carrion if it's available. Birds are as lazy as
> humns.

The googling I did suggested that they took carrion mainly due to the
lack of alternatives (which was not what I had originally thought).

James

[David Martin]

On 11/6/04 10:53 pm, in article , "Tony Raven"
> wrote:

> I'm going to try painting truck headlights on the top of mine and see if it
> works to scare the cars off.

Do you have a problem with hedgehogs then? Just look out for the ones with
their thumbs up.. (very old joke)

...d