Spotted on my commute recently, often with an entourage of sidewalk gawkers:
This pair of turkeys are a regular sight along Broadway between Third and Vassar.
Evidently "wild" turkeys are becoming more and more common in the Boston area.
One came to visit us on our back deck a couple of weeks ago. This guy had absolutely no fear- camped out on our deck railing for a half hour at least, preening and ignoring the stupid humans with cameras on the other side of the glass.
What's the wildest "wild life" you've seen on your commute?
I live in Canberra and see kangaroos in the morning as I ride through the university. It spins me out that there are roos in the middle of town! And although I've lived in Australia my whole life, it still tickles me when I see kangaroos hopping around. They're gorgeous, awesome animals. :)
ReplyDeleteAlso there is a family of bunnies living under a shipping container nearby, and I often see small fluffy babies hanging around, nibbling on the grass. Pests, I know, but adorable pests.
Turkey vultures, coyotes, and a beaver that had gotten run over. The buffalo don't count.
ReplyDeleteThe desert tortoise, which was about the size of a dinner plate, that I saw racing up the sidewalk.
ReplyDeleteThose turkey photos are awesome-especially the last one with the wings.
ReplyDeleteI mostly see squirrels, pigeons, seagulls, and tourists.
when I used to commute out to Bedford, I once had to stop for deer out near the Bedford/Billerica border area. I've seen turkeys from time to time, too.
ReplyDeletethough, the best wildlife spotting that I've had from the saddle was having to stop for a migrating herd of elk in the middle of Vancouver Island.
I spotted a cottontail rabbit in the Southwest Corridor Park near Roxbury Crossing on Monday evening, it ran away far too fast to even think about taking a picture. A couple years ago, I saw a peregrine falcon sitting on a lamp-post on Hudson St in Chinatown, but since they were re-introduced to the city, one used to live on top of the Custom House Tower, I don't think it quite counts.
ReplyDeleteMark
Now in Toronto, I see only squirrels and raccoons, but in Ottawa, I saw foxes and I thought that was pretty cool. Then I was living in Deep River (on the Ottawa River), and I saw the occasional bear.
ReplyDeleteYou bet your boots I stayed on the path!
Upon reflection, my near encounter with "Stinky" in the dark.
ReplyDeleteWe have a thriving wild turkey population where I live in Montana. I also enjoy listening to a variety of birds during my commute: black-capped chickadee, house finch, catbird, grackle and mourning dove.
ReplyDeletejust the usual urban animals: squirrels, stray cats and dogs, pigeons, rats, ducks, geese. squirrels scare me the most with their darting movements.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos - I would never know that was a turkey! I think we must have mostly one specific breed in the UK or something...
ReplyDeleteI've only been on a couple of bike rides in my 'adult' life, but I still ended up cycling alongside a spooked New Forest foal on a recent trip, which bolted as soon as it saw me and wound up galloping parallel to us as we tried to pass. A bit scary and could have been pretty dangerous too, if it had jumped into us!