Kamikaze squirrels

[mcpasty]

Anyone else encountered little grey squirrels with a death wish. It's like the grim bit in Watership down, they just wait until I'm about to pass then a make a mad dash for it. I had to run a gauntlet of about 8 of them on Sunday morning in Devon last weekend. Managed to miss them -so far- tho fell like an old school computer game extra.
Previous week was pheasants- nature vs ...

[scotsmanincumbria]

As it is grey squirrels, just run them down - they are taking over and causing the death of the native Red Squirrel. - I'll take the tails if you do get any - I will use them for my fly tying, and also pass some on to members at the fly tying club

[Alex L]

Used the Bristol Bath cycle path for the first time yesterday, this happened to me several times only one near miss though, the rest were quick enough.

[Audax67]

Try it with a deer. Happened to me four years ago halfway up a mountain at night in the fog. Wham into right leg and disappeared into the dark. I thought it was a sheep until buddy behind told me.

Don't run over the squirrels here, they're all red. Better red than dead.

[Michael R]

Only had problems with rabbits and low flying phrasants

[chrisc]

The problem with squirrels is that they are so indecisive. They suddenly choose to make a nigh suicidal dash across in front of you, then frequently up the ante by changing their minds mid-dash ! The woods are full of them round here (greys) and I regularly have extremely close encounters but no actual collisions yet. It's loose dogs that put me on high alert, having had a few collisions and countless incidents with them .. and their laissez-faire owners. Mind you, sheep ain't too bright either and those bedraggled moorland specimens have a habit of deciding they would be better off on t'other side of the road just as you approach downhill, having nicely topped 30mph !

[Si]

the start of my ride hope is down hill through an old dear park with plenty of trees - squirrel slalom all the way, they are even worse than the crack heads and dealers for getting in the way.

[Nettled Shin]

The problem with squirrels is that they are so indecisive.

They never appear very agile on tarmac, despite their ability to tear down trees and gallop on grass. I wondered whether their claws get in the way when on hard surfaces.
Rings of sandpaper attached to tree trunks would wear down squirrel claws, and bring about an increase in road safety.

[ChrisButch]

I notice this behavour is particularly prevalent in narrow lanes which have trees on one side only. My layman's animal behaviour explanation is that the squrrels are feeding on the non-tree side, where nuts etc from overhanging branches have been swept to the opposite side of the road, or are present in the low hedges growing on that side. When a hazard approaches, their instinct is to head for the nearest tall tree-trunk, even if it means crossing open ground.

[Redvee]

Not any squirrels that I've seen on my ride home but it is after 2200 so they are probably at home watching TV Did meet a fox on sunday and last night saw a torch beam waving around and as I got closer realised it was a dog walker pointing out his black dog to me.

[AlbionLass]

No squirrels but I had a female blackbird attempt to mash itself in my front wheel the other week, was going too fast to be able to stop and see if it needed putting out of its misery.

[iviehoff]

an old dear park

I think it is more politically correct to call it sheltered housing these days.

[Si]

an old dear park

I think it is more politically correct to call it sheltered housing these days.

LOL, Freudian slip

[quiksilver]

Have had a few squirrel encounters like this, mostly on the Outer Circle.

[san0]

Here's a lucky one that I filmed. http://youtu.be/KSGnKPObxs8