To kill a mocking bird...or whatever it was

[Dirt_Dad]

...I'm sill working on getting the POV video out of this one, and I know I have it...but damn, this was a first.

I suspect I'm non the only motorcyclist out there to have the misfortune of ending the days of one of god's creatures, but today was a first. Sure, I've put down a deer, god knows how many suicidal squirrels, and more than a bird or two, but I've never had anything explode on me like today.

I heard something hit my mirror, then go across my body to exit to the right side of of the bike. DM told me she saw the explosion of feathers come out of my right side, but at the next stop the bright red was unmistakable.

Stop now if you don't want to see this...


you've been warned.


Pretty sure it started here.

Then the shower began...

I've had birds hit me in the chest before and I'm pretty sure that was their last act, but never had a splatter quite like today. Don't like it, and clean up after arriving home was extensive. Prefer this stuff never happens, but I'm positive I'm not the only one to have this or much worse.

 

[Sierra1]

I scooped up a fairy large black bird with the Beemer RT. Hard to properly identify what kind of black bird. 'Cuz, although I didn't get splattered like you, it was slightly cooked, and all over the front of the motor. I've been lucky as to not hit anything of any size/weight with a bike. But, I did use and Rx-7 for a New Hampshire deer.

 

[Quique]

I once hit a vulture. Yes, a vulture. They were by the side of the road eating something, just in the middle of a bend. When they saw me coming they started to fly but they are very slow to take off. I saw them and the next second there were five or six vultures in the middle of my way trying to fly. Of course I hit one of them. In a matter of seconds I think I took the right choice. Put my bike straight as I was in a bend, hold the bike strongly and lean my body forward to hit the vulture with the helmet as if I were a bull. I was going at 80 km/h, it was a hard hit but nothing serious happened.
Time ago, we were talking about helmets in the forum. I can confirm that my AGV helmet resists and protected me from a vulture.
The story goes on. I felt confused and disoriented after the hit, so I thought to stop at the next town where there is a health center with a doctor 24/7, so that I could remove my helmet safely and check if anything serious had happened. It was the pandemic time. The doctor told me to put a mask and I answered that I could not wear a mask inside the helmet. She got frightened and alarmed and insisted "put a mask" and I realized that if I tell that lady that I had just hit a vulture she faints for sure. I decided to go away and went to the bar. I took my helmet off, nothing happened, ordered a big beer and something to eat and everything became allright.
I think that the vulture is ok. They are strong animals.
That's it. End of the story.

 

[Dirt_Dad]

I'm always wary of those vultures. They are giants and slow fliers. If possible I beep the horn to get them moving before I get to them. Had a few close calls but been lucky so far.

Had other birds bounce off my chest. That has always been a non-event. One more reason I like my Badlands jacket with chest armor.

 

[Dirt_Dad]

The following post may be disturbing - view at own risk.

Recently I purchased a GoPro Hero 10 Black camera and I'm in the process of doing a review video for it. I had the camera running during the bird strike. The following is a series of shots as capture frame by frame (30 per second) of the event.

 

[Dirt_Dad]

First spotted

I have not tried the 60 frames per second mode. This makes me think I might want to try it.

 

[bolek]

My experience from two years ago. It was not a vulture, but still an unpleasant experience...
(sorry for the quality, but it was almost dark)

 

[patrickg450]

I am waiting for more, YES. With baited breathe.

 

[Checkswrecks]

I killed a nice turkey with the Tenere a few years ago.

Yesterday got to help save a large juvenile bald eagle at the marina. He got too close to the osprey nests and they drove him to the ground. I got close to keep them away and yet you can see one dive bombing him.

Called a raptor organization and worked with this incredible lady to capture him. Look at those talons!

 

[AusTexS10]

...I'm sill working on getting the POV video out of this one, and I know I have it...but damn, this was a first.

I suspect I'm non the only motorcyclist out there to have the misfortune of ending the days of one of god's creatures, but today was a first. Sure, I've put down a deer, god knows how many suicidal squirrels, and more than a bird or two, but I've never had anything explode on me like today.

I heard something hit my mirror, then go across my body to exit to the right side of of the bike. DM told me she saw the explosion of feathers come out of my right side, but at the next stop the bright red was unmistakable.

Stop now if you don't want to see this...


you've been warned.


Pretty sure it started here.

Then the shower began...

I've had birds hit me in the chest before and I'm pretty sure that was their last act, but never had a splatter quite like today. Don't like it, and clean up after arriving home was extensive. Prefer this stuff never happens, but I'm positive I'm not the only one to have this or much worse.

Maybe a tequila mockingbird flying impaired.

 

[AusTexS10]

I killed a nice turkey with the Tenere a few years ago.

Yesterday got to help save a large juvenile bald eagle at the marina. He got too close to the osprey nests and they drove him to the ground. I got close to keep them away and yet you can see one dive bombing him.

Called a raptor organization and worked with this incredible lady to capture him. Look at those talons!

You don't want to mess with nesting osprey, they have impressive talons, too. Here's a link to an osprey cam in Grand Lake CO that has been operating for several years. More fun to watch after the little ones hatch.

Live video from Grand Lake Osprey camera

January 12, 2024 Hello Osprey Watchers. If you have difficulty viewing the picture when you log on to this website, please click on the 'refresh' circle which appears at the top of this screen. ('Refresh' is the small circle with an arrow on it). To listen to Audio from the nest, click on the...

osprey-camera.click2stream.com

 

[Checkswrecks]

You don't want to mess with nesting osprey, they have impressive talons, too. Here's a link to an osprey cam in Grand Lake CO that has been operating for several years. More fun to watch after the little ones hatch.

Live video from Grand Lake Osprey camera

January 12, 2024 Hello Osprey Watchers. If you have difficulty viewing the picture when you log on to this website, please click on the 'refresh' circle which appears at the top of this screen. ('Refresh' is the small circle with an arrow on it). To listen to Audio from the nest, click on the...

osprey-camera.click2stream.com

We have a closed circuit camera looking down on one of the nests too and everybody is rooting for the two fledgelings that hatched.

When told that the ospreys brought down the eagle, the woman who did the rescue said "good ospreys doing what they should and this eagle is clearly not the brightest bunny in the woods to stay near their turf."

 

[holligl]

I've had several close encounters with the vultures, but never actually clipped one. One did eject some defensive countermeasures, which fortunately missed me too. Also missed one large heron that scared the c**p out of me.

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