[senatore]

I did yesterday whilst driving along a quiet Warwickshire lane when a Common Buzzard flew over a low hedge on my left and across my windsceen no more than 6 feet in front of my car before banking and flying off down the road.

I was a little shocked for a split second but a great experience.Have you had a similar encounter when with a bird when driving?

Max.

[Kezza]

Originally Posted by senatore

I did yesterday whilst driving along a quiet Warwickshire lane when a Common Buzzard flew over a low hedge on my left and across my windsceen no more than 6 feet in front of my car before banking and flying off down the road.

I was a little shocked for a split second but a great experience.Have you had a similar encounter when with a bird when driving?

Max.

I've had a buzzard do just that to me a couple of times, frightens the life out of me! They often seem to appear over hedges and glide low over the roof too, this is made worse by the fact that I regularly carry bikes on the roof and have found myself looking in the rear view mirror to check that it made it across the road and didn't fly into the bike wheels!! Would hate to get one stuck in the spokes!

[Jane Turner]

I've suprised a Short-toed Eagle complete with snake

[colonelboris]

Blackbirds seem the most suicidal to me, especially in Shropshire. We nearly collected a few of thos as radiator grille ornaments a few weeks ago. They seem to wait in the bushes until you get a lot closer and then dive accross the road. Looks like they're playing chicken...

[Kezza]

Originally Posted by colonelboris

Blackbirds seem the most suicidal to me, especially in Shropshire.

Couldn't agree more! Not hit one so far but had some heart stopping moments.
A neighbour once arrived with a pheasant stuck in the radiator grill. She had hit it and couldn't bear to go near it so drove home with it there. It was still alive and I had a terrible time getting it out, poor thing.

[J Jones]

Marc Read had a close encounter with a Coal Tit roasting on his car radiator in April....

[Birding5000]

Almost had to use the windshield wipers to clear off a red tail hawk once. Luckily at the last second he turned and veered off to the side. Not sure what he was doing diving towards the car to begin with.

[tom tams]

I was in Lesvos a few years back driving along a small road listening for birds when a Little Owl shot through the open window and out the passenger side. I managed to get a few pics before cleaning myself up.

Tom

[Mike Johnston]

Had a rook hit the windscreen in front of me full-force. A group of them gathered around roadkill scattered as I appeared and, for some reason, one flew right at the car. A goner straight away, and so nearly was I. Had to stop to calm the nerves...and to clean the windscreen. Yeuch!

[John Butler]

Hi Senatore.

Talking about close encounters. I had a bit of a shock on the 17th of May. I was guiding a group of 3 birders from the UK and we were in the Brazo del Este area of Doñana.

Travelling along a track at about 40kmph, between some ricefields, with my window half open, a Zitting Cisticola flew in the window, landed on my shoulder, stayed for about 2 seconds and flew back out of the window.

Two of my clients were very much into photography and I jokingly asked if they had got a picture of it. Of course they replied that they hadn't. My reply was "What's the use of me getting birds close up to you if your not ready with your cameras?"

[The Barn Owl]

The bird-flying-through-the-window stories are fantastic!

Best I can come up with was last year while on holiday in the Eden Valley, sort of between Yorkshire and the Lake District. Driving along a very remote road in the large hills/small mountains Dad came to an abrupt halt and said, 'Sam, what's that?' (He's not into birding, but takes me occasionally) I looked out of the other window and saw a male Kestrel perched on a post barely two feet from the car, before flying off a few seconds later.

Also on a road just outside the village my Grampa lives in a Barn Owl is a regular on certain posts on our way home in the late evening. Beautiful! And then we get great flight views as well, all within 10 feet of the car!

Sam

[OwlTalon]

Amazing stories all!
One time I was going through Nevada, and my dad up front says, "Look at that!" I look out my window and there's this adult golden eagle sitting on the side of the road in front of us! As we come up alongside it (going over 60 mph, speed limits on those roads are high!), it took off and started flying alongside the car. So here I am, looking out my van window at this huge bird flapping along the roadside right next to us, looking me right in the eye. It was only the second gloden I'd ever seen, and now that I think on it, I've only seen two. It flew with us for several hundred yards before it veered off to the side and soared away over the prairie.
Other vehicle encounters include a California quail on a post a foot from the window, a bald eagle soaring over the car on Independence day one time(which subsequently caused us to park and hop out to see it soaring), and a barn owl that flew across the road in front of us. Also numerous other viewings of raptors including peregrines, great gray owls, Swainson's hawks, and kestrels.
Oh yeah, and a sparrow flew across the road in fornt of me the other day, a few inches from the windshield. It barely avoided being hit, and I think it bumped the antenna!

Originally Posted by Kezza

A neighbour once arrived with a pheasant stuck in the radiator grill. She had hit it and couldn't bear to go near it so drove home with it there. It was still alive and I had a terrible time getting it out, poor thing.

Did it live?

[senatore]

This did not happen to me thank goodness but to a friend of mine.He was driving along a road near Maidenhead when a female Mallard (he thinks) smashed through his windscreen and buried itself into his back seat.Luckily the road was not busy and he was able to pull up safely allthough very shaken.

Max.

[rozinante]

I was once nearly knocked off a motorbike by what I can only assume was an unseen bird hitting my chest. The impact actually winded me and was such a shock I thought I had been shot. I never saw the bird and was some way down the road by the time I was sufficiently recovered to pull over and check for what I confidently expected to be a hole in my chest. There was no sign at all of any impact.

Another, far less distressing occurrence was when driving slowly down a very narrow lane on Kent / E Sussex border one dark night. The road had high hedges either side and was almost like a sunken way. As I came round a corner I saw a Barn Own in the middle of the road ahead. I slowed and watched it, waiting for it to fly off. It didn't, so I put my headlights off and my sidelights on in case it was confused by the sudden bright lights. Still no movement so I got out the car to see if it was ok. The Owl waited till I was about 3 metres away and lazily flew about 10 - 15 metres ahead. I returned to the car expecting it to finally fly of as I approached. It didn't move though, not even when I slowly approached to within 1 metre. The above sequence was repeated another 2 times before it finally decided to fly off. I suspect that the "depth" of the lane between the trees, combined with disorientation from my lights to have been the cause of the closest views of a wild Barn Owl that I ever expect to see.

[Kezza]

Originally Posted by Kezza

A neighbour once arrived with a pheasant stuck in the radiator grill. She had hit it and couldn't bear to go near it so drove home with it there. It was still alive and I had a terrible time getting it out, poor thing.

Originally Posted by TCondorOwl92

Did it live?

To be honest, I'm afraid I don't know! I took it to our local wildlife hospital but went on holiday just after and I'm afraid I failed to ring them to find out, I've often wondered. Another neighbour had wanted to put it out of its misery with the help of a brick It least I know the hospital would have done everything they could for it, they are excellent, so it had a chance.

Amazing story about the eagle! Hope I get to see one someday.
This was a photo I took of a Buzzard, about ten feet away that we passed one day. Sorry if it looks awful to any photographers out there, I only have a basic cheap camera! I was just pleased to have captured him before he took off.

[Mary Evelyn]

We were out early one morning and 5 partridges flew above us.The middle one decided to commit suicide and came slap bang into the front of our car.
Really spoilt our day.Fortunately,that's the only bird we have hit.

[Helenelizabeth2]

My bird close encounter is not very exciting - a pigeon flew into the side of the car last year. Made quite a thump but it managed to fly off so no harm done.

I was wondering today when I was driving if anyone has had an accident as a result of birdwatching while driving? I have had a few close shaves looking up at things and suddenly realising that the traffic ahead has stopped. I keep trying to be more sensible but it's so hard not to look - today's distraction was a hobby over the A1. Do you think birdwatching should be regarded as a dangerous sport?

Helen

Originally Posted by senatore

I did yesterday whilst driving along a quiet Warwickshire lane when a Common Buzzard flew over a low hedge on my left and across my windsceen no more than 6 feet in front of my car before banking and flying off down the road.

I was a little shocked for a split second but a great experience.Have you had a similar encounter when with a bird when driving?

Max.

[senatore]

As a birdwatcher is it possible to "switch off" when you are driving? I'm not sure I can !!!

Max.

[gordon g]

Originally Posted by senatore

As a birdwatcher is it possible to "switch off" when you are driving? I'm not sure I can !!!

Max.

Me neither. This lunchtime I was driving along watching what looked like the world's biggest corvid flock in a recently mown grassfield - about half a mile of densely packed crows, rooks and jackdaws all beak-down in the grass.

Also this lunchtime had the car dive-bombed by a pair of curlews. I couldnt work out why until I stopped and saw what must have been their chick in the verge, quite unconcerned with my presence. I didnt think it right to linger, but what a great view of a young wader - all of 5 feet away, and pretty impressive flight from the adults too!

[jacana]

I've had loads of close incounters. I totally agree with sucidial Shropshire blackbirds! i've had plenty of buzzards nearly hitting the car and a robin nesting in my conservatory. Also had both swifts and house martins fly into the house on many occasions as they nest in to roof and above the windows.

[djprest]

a sparrowhawk at flambourgh was chasing a pigeon along the road just front of me i was doing 38mph!!

[Macswede]

One of my worst day's birding was during a holiday in Scotland a few years ago. The highpoint was supposed to be a drive along the north coast where we had see Arctic Skua, Puffins, Merlin etc during a previous holiday. This time there was was thick fog so we saw nothing apart from tantalising glimpses of the occasional Fulmar flying in and out of the fog.
We decided to head south at which point the fog cleared and the rain started. It became so heavy that I began to doubt whether we would make it to our destination. At one point saw a bird in the road. "Look, a Snipe," I shouted before there was a sickening thump. To my knowledge it's the only bird I've ever hit.
Perhaps it was so dispirited by the torrential rain that it forgot to fly away. Or else it was under the impression that it was sitting safely in the middle of a marsh.
Graham

[devilbirder]

I have had many, too many. Regulary we are driving along and a Blue tit or another songbird literally skims the windscreen. Lucky things.
I have had an ocassion where we were driving along the motorway and a pheasant (famous for having no sign of intelligence) ran in front of the car about 100 yards ahead. It seemed really confused and was running back and forth really stressed out. Luckily it missed our car but only for a couple more seconds when it was curtains cos the car behind got it.
Last year at the British Birdwatching Fair we were on our way and a woodpigeon decided to fly off out of a bush right infront of the car. It quickly realized it was in trouble and was flapping furiously, constanly looking behind it. It then saw an opertunity to escape so it swerved over to the other side of the road were it instantly turned into a feather bomb when it collided with a truck!
Poor birds, need to learn the green cross code. I personally think there are too many cars on the road and it is seriously affecing our wildlife.

[Mike Pennington]

I know someone who's hit-list includes

Windscreen Sandpiper Calidris fenestra

Radiator Lark Alauda grylle

Shredded Wheatear Oenanthe nabisco

[Gill Osborne]

Originally Posted by senatore

As a birdwatcher is it possible to "switch off" when you are driving? I'm not sure I can !!!

Me neither Max! It's worse when you are driving along the winding country lanes up here in Northumberland as there's always something flying around!
I start work early so drive in to Alnwick at 5am and the main problem at the moment is the number of baby rabbits that are feeding on the verges at the side of the road - it's got to the point where I'm leaving the house earlier to allow for slower driving just in case one decides to jump out in front of me!

Pheasants!!!!!!!!!! They are suicidal up here and I automatically slow to a crawl if I see one cos you can guarantee that they WILL throw themselves in front of your car!
Two weeks ago I had to stop the car as two male blackbirds were having a right scrap in the middle of the road - i had to honk the horn to get them to move!
Woodpigeons and Collared doves don't move until the last second!!!

When we lived in the hills I once had a female Sparrowhawk flying up the hill level with my door! She must have only been, what, three feet away and stayed level with us ( Neil was driving so I could concentrate on the bird) until w were virtually at the top before she suddenly swooped up over us and into the trees. Best view I've ever had!

Had quite a few Barn Owls flying level with the car on a number of occasions too. And I was once driving along the A1 after just leaving Morpeth when I saw a Barn Owl hunting along the verge - VERY distracting at 4.30pm on a sunny afternoon when you are on a 70mph road!!!!!

I've now perfected the art of keeping one eye on the road and one on the birds LOL Bit like a chameleon!!!