[ORRando] Fwd: close encounters of the bird kind

[Vincent Sikorski]

A couple weeks ago I was riding on Holmes Rd (between Sisters & Terrebonne Oregon), and noticed something large on a road kill deer on the side of the road ahead of me. Initially I thought it may be some sort of mammal. As I got closer, it was definitely a (very huge) bird. A Golden Eagle was feeding on the carcass. The eagle took to flight just as I was next to the deer, within about 6 feet. They do not have great acceleration. The eagle flew next to me for about 10 yards until it had enough height to clear the juniper trees along the road.

It was an adult Golden Eagle, did not have the white wing markings of a juvenile golden.

Vince Sikorski
3989 NW Northcliff
Bend, Oregon 97701
vsikorski at bendbroadband.com

> 
> From: orrando-bounces at orrandonneurs.org [mailto:orrando-bounces at orrandonneurs.org] On Behalf Of Graham Ross
> Sent: Friday, February 22, 2013 11:52 AM
> To: OR Randonneurs
> Subject: [ORRando] close encounters of the bird kind
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> I'm a new rusa member hoping to see some of you on orrando rides this year.
> Just to get a feel for the timetable of a brevet I thought I'd ride Susan France's "Chehalem Ridge Runner" last Monday.
> I took Trimet to Tigard, rode to Sherwood, and started the route a little after 10am.
> I missed a turn early in the ride and it was three uphill miles before I realized it, so I backtracked to the route and beat cheeks up Bald Peak
> trying to make sure I had a cushion against the time limit in Forest Grove in case of a flat or whatever.
> 
> So I'm pedaling along Hwy 47 about 22mph in a light tail wind from Gaston toward Forest Grove. I'm feeling pretty serene, with 4 miles to the control and 40 minutes to do it in.
> 
> There is a lull in traffic. No noise. No cars in either direction for half a mile, at least.
> 
> Out of the corner of my eye I see something.
> 
> It is a huge bird. This bird (I've decided it was a Northern Harrier) was about 12 feet to my right, just pacing me.
> 
> We cruised along like that, human and raptor, for about 400 yards before the bird sped up a little and veered left, looking for something smaller to eat. Perhaps something with no helmet.
> 
> Graham Ross
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> ORRando mailing list
> ORRando at orrandonneurs.org
> http://orrandonneurs.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/orrando




-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://orrandonneurs.org/pipermail/orrando/attachments/20130222/44ca2d3e/attachment-0001.htm