Squirrels!

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
roberts8
Posts: 547
Joined: 20 May 2011, 9:14pm
Location: Surrey

Re: Squirrels!

Post by roberts8 »

Have hit a squirrel and a few sparrows but commuting through Richmond Park one night I ran into a herd of deer, I came off and curled up in a ball as a herd of large deer clattered around me. I got a few bruises and as I was unrolling another cyclist came along and asked if I was ok. I must admit to being rattled.
mercalia
Posts: 14630
Joined: 22 Sep 2013, 10:03pm
Location: london South

Re: Squirrels!

Post by mercalia »

roberts8 wrote:Have hit a squirrel and a few sparrows but commuting through Richmond Park one night I ran into a herd of deer, I came off and curled up in a ball as a herd of large deer clattered around me. I got a few bruises and as I was unrolling another cyclist came along and asked if I was ok. I must admit to being rattled.


wow rutting season? thats some thing I have never thought of happening to me there
mark1964
Posts: 35
Joined: 6 Jan 2012, 8:34pm

Re: Squirrels!

Post by mark1964 »

Hit one on the Bristol Railway Path a few months back. Definitely hit it, stopped expecting a corpse, but nothing!. A few days later a guy on a road bike in front of me also hit one.
geocycle
Posts: 2177
Joined: 11 Jan 2007, 9:46am

Re: Squirrels!

Post by geocycle »

I ran over one once, felt horrible. It ran in front of me like Phil Bennett against the all blacks in 1974, no chance of missing it which ever way I went.
reohn2
Posts: 45158
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Squirrels!

Post by reohn2 »

Years ago we hit one on the tandem with front wheel,direct hit to the head,the result wasn't pretty.
Luckily it was a Grey tree rat one,which IMO should have all out war declared on anyway,as they're solely responsible for the decline in our native Red species.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
kwackers
Posts: 15643
Joined: 4 Jun 2008, 9:29pm
Location: Warrington

Re: Squirrels!

Post by kwackers »

reohn2 wrote:Years ago we hit one on the tandem with front wheel,direct hit to the head,the result wasn't pretty.
Luckily it was a Grey tree rat one,which IMO should have all out war declared on anyway,as they're solely responsible for the decline in our native Red species.

Well technically, we're solely responsible for bringing it over here, ditto rabbits to Australia etc etc (plus rabbits aren't native to the UK anyway but...)

The poor grey squirrel is only doing what evolution created it to do.
reohn2
Posts: 45158
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Squirrels!

Post by reohn2 »

kwackers wrote:
reohn2 wrote:Years ago we hit one on the tandem with front wheel,direct hit to the head,the result wasn't pretty.
Luckily it was a Grey tree rat one,which IMO should have all out war declared on anyway,as they're solely responsible for the decline in our native Red species.

Well technically, we're solely responsible for bringing it over here, ditto rabbits to Australia etc etc (plus rabbits aren't native to the UK anyway but...)

The poor grey squirrel is only doing what evolution created it to do.

The Grey squirrel which was introduced in the mid 19th century, is directly responsible for the almost extiction of our native Red squirrel and is a nuisance.
Likewise the Rabbit which was introduced in the 11th century,the difference is the Rabbit hasn't been responsible for the decline of any other species that I'm aware of only farm crops.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
kwackers
Posts: 15643
Joined: 4 Jun 2008, 9:29pm
Location: Warrington

Re: Squirrels!

Post by kwackers »

reohn2 wrote:The Grey squirrel which was introduced in the mid 19th century, is directly responsible for the almost extiction of our native Red squirrel and is a nuisance.
Likewise the Rabbit which was introduced in the 11th century,the difference is the Rabbit hasn't been responsible for the decline of any other species that I'm aware of only farm crops.

I know the history, I simply tried to make the point that the squirrel wasn't to blame.
The blame as with virtually all incidences of alien species lies firmly on our shoulders...

It reminds me of the problem we have with pigeons and rats. They're just pigeons and rats, it's us that throw food waste all over the place and then complain when the population of them explodes.

When I bought my current house it came with a resident squirrel (grey). Used to watch it occasionally doing its stuff whilst in the garden.
One day the cat got it and it became an ex-grey squirrel. The day after there were two of them running around on the grass!
I have on occasion since seen three so who knows how many there really are. Mind you I was complaining a few weeks ago I hadn't seen 'our' hedgehog for months and the very same night went out and there were three hedgehogs on the lawn!

Squirrels are entertaining. It's a battle of wits keeping them out of the bird feeders - with victories on both sides. My lawn is tough and resilient too given I think it's now actually composed of oak saplings.
reohn2
Posts: 45158
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Squirrels!

Post by reohn2 »

kwackers wrote:
reohn2 wrote:The Grey squirrel which was introduced in the mid 19th century, is directly responsible for the almost extiction of our native Red squirrel and is a nuisance.
Likewise the Rabbit which was introduced in the 11th century,the difference is the Rabbit hasn't been responsible for the decline of any other species that I'm aware of only farm crops.

I know the history, I simply tried to make the point that the squirrel wasn't to blame.
The blame as with virtually all incidences of alien species lies firmly on our shoulders...


I totally agree,we truly are very a destructive species the planet could probably do better without ,meanwhile we can undo the wrongs of our forefathers especially where Greys are concerned.
I'd rather see Reds running about in my garden(perhaps its my political leanings :) ) and they're far more benign than their Trumped up US Grey ccousins.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
AlaninWales
Posts: 1626
Joined: 26 Oct 2012, 1:47pm

Re: Squirrels!

Post by AlaninWales »

reohn2 wrote:
kwackers wrote:
reohn2 wrote:The Grey squirrel which was introduced in the mid 19th century, is directly responsible for the almost extiction of our native Red squirrel and is a nuisance.
Likewise the Rabbit which was introduced in the 11th century,the difference is the Rabbit hasn't been responsible for the decline of any other species that I'm aware of only farm crops.

I know the history, I simply tried to make the point that the squirrel wasn't to blame.
The blame as with virtually all incidences of alien species lies firmly on our shoulders...


I totally agree,we truly are very a destructive species the planet could probably do better without ,meanwhile we can undo the wrongs of our forefathers especially where Greys are concerned.
I'd rather see Reds running about in my garden(perhaps its my political leanings :) ) and they're far more benign than their Trumped up US Grey ccousins.

But the poor human is only doing what evolution created it to do.
kwackers
Posts: 15643
Joined: 4 Jun 2008, 9:29pm
Location: Warrington

Re: Squirrels!

Post by kwackers »

AlaninWales wrote:But the poor human is only doing what evolution created it to do.

And yet, supposedly.
What a piece of work is man, How noble in reason, how infinite in faculty, In form and moving how express and admirable, In action how like an Angel, In apprehension how like a god

But then I always thought that was a crock of crap.
AlaninWales
Posts: 1626
Joined: 26 Oct 2012, 1:47pm

Re: Squirrels!

Post by AlaninWales »

kwackers wrote:
AlaninWales wrote:But the poor human is only doing what evolution created it to do.

And yet, supposedly.
What a piece of work is man, How noble in reason, how infinite in faculty, In form and moving how express and admirable, In action how like an Angel, In apprehension how like a god

But then I always thought that was a crock of crap.

And yet to me, what is this quintessence of dust? Man delights not me; no, nor Woman neither; though by your smiling you seem to say so.

Shakespeare was only doing what evolution created him to do too.
kwackers
Posts: 15643
Joined: 4 Jun 2008, 9:29pm
Location: Warrington

Re: Squirrels!

Post by kwackers »

AlaninWales wrote:Shakespeare was only doing what evolution created him to do too.

I fear we're heading into a deterministic reality here.
reohn2
Posts: 45158
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Squirrels!

Post by reohn2 »

AlaninWales wrote:
reohn2 wrote:
kwackers wrote:I know the history, I simply tried to make the point that the squirrel wasn't to blame.
The blame as with virtually all incidences of alien species lies firmly on our shoulders...


I totally agree,we truly are very a destructive species the planet could probably do better without ,meanwhile we can undo the wrongs of our forefathers especially where Greys are concerned.
I'd rather see Reds running about in my garden(perhaps its my political leanings :) ) and they're far more benign than their Trumped up US Grey ccousins.

But the poor human is only doing what evolution created it to do.

You mean ultimately self destruct?
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
AlaninWales
Posts: 1626
Joined: 26 Oct 2012, 1:47pm

Re: Squirrels!

Post by AlaninWales »

reohn2 wrote:
AlaninWales wrote:
reohn2 wrote:
I totally agree,we truly are very a destructive species the planet could probably do better without ,meanwhile we can undo the wrongs of our forefathers especially where Greys are concerned.
I'd rather see Reds running about in my garden(perhaps its my political leanings :) ) and they're far more benign than their Trumped up US Grey ccousins.

But the poor human is only doing what evolution created it to do.

You mean ultimately self destruct?

Most species do, when the resources they depend on come to an end. Where life continues, it usually does so by evolving to utilise the by-products as resources. Humans may achieve that via technology, or they might not.
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