True stories in bike commuting

I remember once hearing about a European ad campaign aimed at encouraging cycling in which they'd show someone driving and then show the same person biking the same route in a sort of "Sliding Doors" comparison. So in their car they see a friend on the sidewalk and have an awkward conversation while cars behind them honk. Or in their car they drive by a 20 pound note, but on their bike they see it and pick it up. That sort of happened to me.

On Wednesday I rode past a peregrine falcon lying in the gutter pan of the road. I thought it was dead (since that seemed unusual to me), thought "poor guy" and kept going. But on Thursday, I rode by and it was now standing in the same spot. At first I thought someone had stood it up as a weird joke, but as I got closer I could see it's head moving just a little bit. It was still alive, but obviously in bad shape. So I pulled over and parked my bike.  While looking at it and trying to figure out what to do, a driver saw me and pulled over. She called animal control and the Humane Society truck was there in 5 minutes. They captured the bird, who got a little more feisty at that point, and drove it back for some medical attention.

I really should have taken a photo of some of this I realized later. But, here's a photo of a similar looking falcon.

Point is, I would have never noticed this if I'd been in a car and that poor falcon might still be standing there by the road. 

Comments

[SJE]

Yep. Thats one of the true joys. In the past 6 months, besides the usual deer, rabbits and squirrels, I have come across an owl a few feet in front of my bike, a snapping turtle laying its eggs, picked up a snake that was freaking out a walker, seen a bunch of frogs, and the resurgence of bats after several years where they were scarce.

[DE]

Bald eagle flew not far over my head on the TR bridge this summer. That was the highlight of this year, wildlife/commute-wise.

[Crickey7]

I stopped one morning to help little girl catch her dog, that had escaped when she opened the front door.

[Crank]

Best one for me was seeing a bald eagle mug an osprey and steal the fish.

[Riley]

Life happens to us on our bikes. Life is something outside the window in a car.