Flying With Ducks..

[slofox]

...As opposed to Dancing with Wolves...

This is a slightly weird thing that happened Sunday morning and only related to biking in that I was on the bike when it happened...

Took a ride over the hill to Raglan - nice ride, that, and one I do often...

Heading up the hill, in a RH sweeping corner with the hill breaking off to the left and going down quite steeply. I become aware of movement out of the corner of my left eye. Turn head to check it out and bugger me, there about six feet to my left is flying a Paradise Duck - female, with the white head. Close enough that it seems as though I could almost reach out and touch it. As I look, it turns its head towards me and scopes me out...then just keeps abreast for a couple of seconds, looking all the time. I'm thinking "What the feck? What's it think it's doing?". And then it gets bored and peels off and away...and I recover my wits before I ride off the edge of the cliff.
But for a few seconds there it was like flying in formation with the damn thing. Pretty amazing experience for a brief moment. (well, I thought so anyway...)

[duckonin]

...As opposed to Dancing with Wolves...

This is a slightly weird thing that happened Sunday morning and only related to biking in that I was on the bike when it happened...

Took a ride over the hill to Raglan - nice ride, that, and one I do often...

Heading up the hill, in a RH sweeping corner with the hill breaking off to the left and going down quite steeply. I become aware of movement out of the corner of my left eye. Turn head to check it out and bugger me, there about six feet to my left is flying a Paradise Duck - female, with the white head. Close enough that it seems as though I could almost reach out and touch it. As I look, it turns its head towards me and scopes me out...then just keeps abreast for a couple of seconds, looking all the time. I'm thinking "What the feck? What's it think it's doing?". And then it gets bored and peels off and away...and I recover my wits before I ride off the edge of the cliff.
But for a few seconds there it was like flying in formation with the damn thing. Pretty amazing experience for a brief moment. (well, I thought so anyway...)

yes it was one of those moments for those that dare to adventure past the TV...

[Brownbikerbabe]

Cool...getting checked out by a duck were ya? I love when for a change nature is looking at us like..WTF are you?

Its navigation system must a been off...it didn't look like this did it?

[slofox]

Cool...getting checked out by a duck were ya? I love when for a change nature is looking at us like..WTF are you?

Its navigation system must a been off...it didn't look like this did it?

...only after it saw me...

[Ferkletastic]

I love little random encounters with nature like that when an animal checks you out for a moment as if to say "Sup person, I'm here too".

Nothing profound, just kinda cool.

[Big Dave]

One of my Friends in Melbourne calls me 'Dances with sheep'.

[mashman]

Probably wondering what you'd look like with an orange shoved up YOUR arse...

[Headbanger]

I came across a hawk the other day, I gave it a surprise and it took flight.

My first though was, How fast can a hawk fly?

The answer is substantially slower then the rate at which I was traveling.

My second thought was HOLY FUCK I wish I had my visor down as the claws of that hawk I'm about to hit are going to rip my face off.

[slofox]

I came across a hawk the other day, I gave it a surprise and it took flight.

My first though was, How fast can a hawk fly?

My second was I wish I had my visor down as the claws of that hawk I'm about to hit are going to rip my face off.

Yeah - they're big bastards, eh?

[Skyryder]

...As opposed to Dancing with Wolves...

This is a slightly weird thing that happened Sunday morning and only related to biking in that I was on the bike when it happened...

Took a ride over the hill to Raglan - nice ride, that, and one I do often...

Heading up the hill, in a RH sweeping corner with the hill breaking off to the left and going down quite steeply. I become aware of movement out of the corner of my left eye. Turn head to check it out and bugger me, there about six feet to my left is flying a Paradise Duck - female, with the white head. Close enough that it seems as though I could almost reach out and touch it. As I look, it turns its head towards me and scopes me out...then just keeps abreast for a couple of seconds, looking all the time. I'm thinking "What the feck? What's it think it's doing?". And then it gets bored and peels off and away...and I recover my wits before I ride off the edge of the cliff.
But for a few seconds there it was like flying in formation with the damn thing. Pretty amazing experience for a brief moment. (well, I thought so anyway...)

Ya just been 'goosed.'

[Bass]

When we did our outback Oz trip, from time to time I disturbed a flock of galahs feeding in the road.
If there were trees either side, they made no attempt to climb over them but flew straight down the road until they reached a gap in the greenery.
This meant that I caught up with them and rode in amongst a flock of pink and grey parrots for up to half a km or so. They seemed to have no fear of me once they were in flight and on occasion I could have reached out and touched a wingtip.
I would slow down and match speeds with them, just to prolong the experience.
According to a DR speedo, galahs cruise at 47 kph.

[Bounce001]

Was following my partner coming through Kamo a couple of years ago. Coming up to an intersection, a duck takes flight from the side of the road straight into my partners head! Stopped at the intersection and he had to ask me what it was! No damage done (to him anyway - not sure about the duck). Bloody funny to watch! Got a bit of mileage out of it over the weekend!

[Big Dave]

According to a DR speedo, galahs cruise at 47 kph.

But I occasionally go faster.

[Pixie]

...As opposed to Dancing with Wolves...

This is a slightly weird thing that happened Sunday morning and only related to biking in that I was on the bike when it happened...

Took a ride over the hill to Raglan - nice ride, that, and one I do often...

Heading up the hill, in a RH sweeping corner with the hill breaking off to the left and going down quite steeply. I become aware of movement out of the corner of my left eye. Turn head to check it out and bugger me, there about six feet to my left is flying a Paradise Duck - female, with the white head. Close enough that it seems as though I could almost reach out and touch it. As I look, it turns its head towards me and scopes me out...then just keeps abreast for a couple of seconds, looking all the time. I'm thinking "What the feck? What's it think it's doing?". And then it gets bored and peels off and away...and I recover my wits before I ride off the edge of the cliff.
But for a few seconds there it was like flying in formation with the damn thing. Pretty amazing experience for a brief moment. (well, I thought so anyway...)

It was probably taking advantage of your bow turbulence to get a low resistance ride.It's the same reason ducks and geese fly in V formation.
In the series "Ice Road Truckers" there is a shot of a crow flying beside and above the bonnet of one of the trucks.

Ducks are one of the fastest birds in level flight,but you never hear the phrase "as fast as a duck".

[scissorhands]

I wonder if the duck was eyeing up your pressure wave for a draft after crossing that range? some ducks are not good flyers and water quality and consequently wild fowl health deteriorates toward the end of a hot dry summer