Bye Bye Birdie

[The Bacon Junkie]

   Sunday afternoon I decided to accompany Duck-Stew on a little ride to the local auto parts store to pick up some fuel line.  We decided to take the loooong way home via Balcolm Canyon Rd, S. Mountain Rd, and Grimes Canyon. 

   Stew waved me past on S. Mountain Rd. and I started getting into a groove on the fast sweepers.  Next thing I know, there's a thud on my front brake lever and I get a little front end shimmy action.   I slow down and pull over into a little turnout to see what the heck just happened.

   I dismount and as I'm taking off my helmet Stew pulls up.  I tell him that I think I got hit by a bird as he's pointing to my leg.  My right knee has blood all over it.  (not mine)   There are feathers in my brake lever, feathers stuck to my pipe, guts cooking on my engine case, the right side of my tank is covered in blood, and my turn signal is busted.   

   I was kinda bummed out that I had killed one of the Earth's living, breathing creatures, but Duck-Stew put things into perspective.  He said that there is only one me, one Rosie (my bike), and when you're on the bike you have to look out for number one... there are plenty of small avian creatures flying around, but I'm irreplaceable.

   As always, he's right.  Ride safe out there, my friends.

Here are links to some pics for the morbidly curious among you...
I didn't use the image code in deference to the squeamish.
Look at own risk... a couple are kinda gross.   

http://i415.photobucket.com/albums/pp231/tazios/photo-20.jpg

http://i415.photobucket.com/albums/pp231/tazios/photo-16.jpg

http://i415.photobucket.com/albums/pp231/tazios/photo-17.jpg

http://i415.photobucket.com/albums/pp231/tazios/photo-18.jpg

http://i415.photobucket.com/albums/pp231/tazios/photo-19.jpg

[Raux]

good thing it wasn't a turkey

glad you were able to safely pull over.

[Popeye the Sailor]

I saw the thread title and read how you went for a ride with Duck-Stew and thought stu had binned it.

[koko64]

Thought I saw gibblets! 

[Buckethead]

Goddam suicidal birds! 

bird hit by ball

Glad you made it out with all of your blood and guts where they're supposed to be.

[RVA Duc]

good to hear it was only a bird, and that your ok , a buddy of mine ran into a deer at night at about 60mph he did a little tank knocker but stayed on the bike and kept going somehow, and him and the bike where ok the deer was in the ditch the next day dunno how that happened must have been divine intervention 

[Howie]

Glad you are OK!

[WetDuc]

Gross, kind of awesome, glad you are OK (glad the bird wasn't bigger), don't feel bad much for the bird.

[Porsche Monkey]

SPLAT!!!! .    Glad you are okay.   

[The Bacon Junkie]

Thanks for the concern, everybody. I feel lucky to come out of it unscathed. 
  We turned around and headed home real quick...  well, not too quick.

I didn't want to push my luck, so we stayed well within the limits on the way home.

I saw the thread title and read how you went for a ride with Duck-Stew and thought stu had binned it.

Didn't even think about that... 

 Stu's just fine.   

[orangelion03]

Mmmmm...squab...

Or that low, probably quail!   I had a covey take flight right across my path on Cerro Noroeste Road a few months back.  That was spooky.  Collected a couple in the grill of my Miata a few years back. 

"Dirty... disgusting... filthy... lice-ridden boids"

Glad you're ok Ryan!! 

Could have been worse, you could hit an owl...http://www.rob.com/pic/weird/birdstrike.jpg

[Duck-Stew]

I've had to duck my head down to avoid a flying bird once, but Short-Bus's collision is the first I've been party to. 

When it happened, I wasn't looking where he was going but looked up and what I saw looked like a flock of moths hovering about but they were feathers from the explosion.

It was creepy to see all the guts really...

[Monster Dave]

I knew a guy once who had a bat hit his chest while he was riding at night!!!

[dennisd]

Glad you are OK!

I've had a few run ins with wildlife myself.  As I was going through a small town at 40 mph, I ran over a puppy that darted in front of me from some tall grass; my front wheel jumped over it, then it got caught up under the bike for a split second.  As I went over it there wasn't enough room under my bike so it got twisted between my bike and the road; it yelped as it's back was broke.  Man that tore my heart out.  Got the bike a little sideways but luckily I ride dirt bikes also so I think that helped save me because I was able to correct the slide and didn't go down.  I think the worst was when my ex and I were just cruising along on a small country road when I see a big black blur rising out of the road ditch just in front of me.  I didn't have enough time to take evasive action but "luckily" the black vulture (more commonly called a buzzard here in Texas) had enough strength in it's wings to rise just over my head.  The problem was it needed to lighten it's load to do so.  As it swooped upward it sprayed s_ _t; which coated my helmet and jacket.  I'll never forget my ex rolling on the ground laughing as I wash my jacket and helmet in the standing water in the ditch.

[sally101]

Capt. Sully says: "Pfffftt Amateur..."