Just when you've thought you've seen it all.....

Today, heading to work this morning, I'm driving down the normal route out of town; a rural backroad that connects to another county highway, when out of the ditch on the driver's side hops a

Bald Eagle

which then decides NOW is the time to start flying directly in front of the car! I slammed on the brakes & missed this flying behemoth by mere frackin' inches. I could see its eyes as it was flying in front of me.

(note to self - check for skid marks tomorrow morning. On the road, that is!)

Now guys, we've probably ALL had our experiences with birds; I can't count how many robins, sparrows, goldfinches, etc. I've managed to whack over the years but I've never had an experience like this before. Turkeys, Sandhill Cranes, Turkey Vultures, yes, but none of those have ever so completely invisible as this eagle was. Besides, they're big, you can't miss them! I always have my eyes peeled down this stretch of road because deer are a nuisance & this road, like most WI roads, doesn't have much more than the typical 2" of shoulder with woods and/or corn fields on either side.


Then you start thinking about what you would've done if you'd have hit it! I'm sure as heck not touching a pissed-off & hurt eagle - not without rhinoceros-hide gloves.
Who do you call in the middle of frickin' nowhere to report an injured eagle? The cops? The sheriff's? The local paper (because NOBODY is gonna believe THIS one!)?

Critters - I don't worry about other cars, I worry about nature.

 

BTW, this is the road & darn near the spot......

 

I know what you mean...

a big tom turkey took out the windshield of one of my older cars ~20 years ago. It was like a video game.

They are really poor flyers-no grace at all.

 

Man, that's crazy...

The closest thing to something like that for me was when a few friends of mine and I had a golden eagle circling above our head...crazy...and the weird part was, it did the same thing every saturday we went out...really weird..

note: few friends = 87,450 + me / golden eagle = war eagle IV / place = the lovliest village on the plains.


WAR EAGLE!

 

At least you're in a vehicle. Here in Sacramento we have a bike trail that runs by the river through town. Along side is a very wide green belt that runs up to the hills. I've almost run into turkeys (feathered and otherwise), several deer, quail, coyotes, rattlesnakes and came way to close to a mountain lion. And there just isn't a decent seat belt, air bag or window on a carbon bike!! When I saw the mountain lion, I broke Lance Armstrongs speed record getting the H@#$ out of there! I won't even go into the bizarre behavior shown by the suicidal squirrels.

 

XFIREPOP, You were lucky.
A mountain lion is probably the only thing a person could come in contact with that would scare me shitless (not much chance of encountering a Grizzly).

Luckily they find enough deer, dogs and kids to feed on that a grown man on a bike probably presented too much of a challenge.

California banned the hunting of mountain lions many years ago and now there are too many of them and some are coming out of the mountains into the suburbs. Had a case many years ago where one ate a kid in Orange County. The parents sued the county saying they were negligant for not posting signs in the park to beware of mountain lions, stupid parents let the kid wander off by herself. If she had been bitten by a rattlesnake the county would have been covered since there were signs posted about rattlesnakes.

Parents should have to take an intelligence test before they are allowed to have kids.

Was hiking in the Lake Meade National Recreation area with my dog one day. I knew there was a mountain lion in the area since I had seen tracks and found a big horn sheep they had killed and eaten (still have those horns). Anyway, I was packing open carry a 44 magnum pistol on my hip and ran into two park rangers on the trail. We were probably the only humans within 100 square miles. They asked why I was packing and I told them there was a mountain lion in the area and it was to protect me and my dog. Luckily, this was Nevada and they were more tolerant. "You can't shoot a mountain lion" they said. "If it comes to a choice between my dog and me and the mountain lion, the mountain lion loses" I told them. They accepted my logic and went on.

 

Any time there is a dead bird or fresh tire burn out marks on the road to work, I get blamed!
XF is like a bird magnet when it's going fast for some reason.

 

Birds can be a pain. About ten years ago I had a crow come right at me and go through the windsheld just about how you would think a three pound rock would. Only difference was the mess that it left in the car.
I just sold the car there was no way that I would be able to clean up the spatter that was over the inside of the car

 

Man, that is scary.
I never thought a bird would go through the windshield. What a mess that must have created, not conisdering the mess I would have made in my pants.

 

i wonder what the fine would be for killing a bald eagle? i know people who were fined for hitting deer!! thank goodness both of you are ok!

 

Funny, Barb, I was giving serious thought to that!

I mean, I had both hands on the wheel with my foot attempting to push through the floor onto the road below - like a cartoon character. I couldn't possibly have braked any faster (& the SRT brakes are awesome!), it would've been a complete accident. Could I be fined for that? They are a federally protected species, after all.
The point is moot, of course; nothing more than a thought experiment now.

As to deer, there are so many of them around here you can almost expect to hit one; it's a given. In another month or so, when we're all driving home in the dark, the deer paranoia will be in full swing for yours truly.
I HATE November!!

Lesr, that's just NOT a good visual. I'm assuming you came through it OK?!

 

that would have been really bad to have hit an eagle, good reaction time Kurts...and I am sure the Eagle took a dump on the way up....lol

 

LOL!

Never saw it crap......that would've been all the worse! It wouldn't of been so bad 'cept the thing, instead of flying across the front of the car ,was attempting to gain lift directly in front of it.
It was like watching a C5A taking off - you seriously wonder if it's ever gonna get off the ground!

 

they are a huge bird for sure, but, man are they magnificant....the sky clears of all birds when they are in the area...

 

When I lived in Michigan, eagles would cruise the creek behind my house for squirrels. One day I found a juvenile (had the size but not yet the color) parked in the tree about 10 feet from my picture window. There were 3 blue jays pestering the thing. Squawking at him and buzzing him. Could not believe the cojones on those jays. They get to close to the big guy just once and they'll never do it again. Went on for a good 10 minutes until the eagle just casually cruised off.