close encounters

[Robby]

I was out walking the dog (Marley our 7 month Black Lab/Husky cross) the other night. It was quite a nice night though a very light mist was hanging in the air giving the street lamps a softening halo. It was late and the streets were deserted. Marley and I walked quietly along a tree lined lane close to some local woods. I was watching for the frantic fluttering of the Bats that I've often seen feeding in the pools of light. Then I heard a far-away bird call. Marley stopped in his tracks and stared off in the direction it came from. Amusing my self more than anything, I tried my best to mimic the call. Back it came. It was a coincidence, surely? I mimicked the call again, again the call repeated. I looked down at Marley and he had that tilt of the head "what on earth are you doing" look on his face. I laughed softly and said to Marley, "You'd think that was getting closer, eh boy".
I looked back in the direction (through mist fogged spectacles) that the call had come from only to come almost face to face with a large white shape gliding silently out of the tree line. With all the control I could muster I squeeled like a four year old girl and ducked while Marley legged it half way up the path.


It was the closest encounter I've ever had with an owl in the wild.

It got me wondering if anyone else has been caught off guard by any interesting close encounters

 

[Shewie]

It probably thought you were a bit of owl totty and was coming to check you out.

I`ve spent many nights in one of my woods where there is a nesting pair of Barn owls, they go on for hours just repeating the same calls.

You can here some samples here if you`re interested

http://www.owlpages.com/sounds.php

 

[Nelis]

Yes I have had a close encounter. It was on a company teambuilding event, a weekend skiing in france (Les Arcs). As I don't ski, I set out one of the days to walk down the mountain. It was a beautifull walk, as you could see the landscape change from a winter wonderland at the top to a sunny environment in the valley. And all along the walk I was alone there, nobody else came there to walk I guess.

Here are some pictures I took along the way:

Anyway somewhere along the walk I went around a corner to find 2 large deer about one and a half meter in front of me. Now they didn't stick around long enough for me to take their picture. Well to tell you the truth I didn't even try because I was to startled and only realized what I had seen as they were long gone. I think I wasn't the only one startled there though. They clearly didn't expect me there.

 

[Prawnster]

Two close encounters spring to mind.

The first was when I was walking through woodland with my wife in the Lake District. Somehow as we crested a small hill we had managed to sneak right up on a herd (herd?) of deer, literally within yards. The stag with a full set of antlers was closest to us, presumably he was aware that this direction was perhaps the only way he could be surprised from. The rest of the deer just froze as did my wife and I. The Stag turned to face us square, he was within ten yards of us, stood his hair on end, head up high to show off his antlers and barked a heart stopping warning that left us in doubt that our only option was to immediately start walking backwards. It took us a while to get our breath back.

The second was in Florida, in a large public garden. Walking along a paved path amongst the tropical plants something at my feet caught my eye. As I looked down I saw that I had been joined on my stroll by an armadillo! It was keeping pace with me next to my right foot. After a few yards it decided to head back into the undergrowth. It was quite surreal, so much so that nobody believed me.

 

[Shewie]

Me and the wife were at a bus stop in Jasper BC last year when a 3-4 year old black bear walked out of the woods behind us and crossed over the road. It was one of those don`t make eye contact and hope it goes away moments. He was only about twenty yards away when he passed us but he just raised his head and carried on by.
Minutes later a family of whitetail deer came waltzing out too, it was as though they were chasing it off somehow.
We were waiting at the bus stop for a pickup to a white water rafting trip which also came up trumps, as we went round a corner in the river a mother and her two cubs were playing on the opposite bank.

A good day really

 

[saddle_tramp]

years ago, i was working on a farm in kent, and a few of us were camped in benders in one of these road edge plantations (like where they plant trees near roundabouts, that kinda place) We'd tapped into a lamppost to pinch electric to run this telly and a few of us are sat watching some boxing, when i turned to the benders open entrance and not 3ft away, theres a young fox, sat like a happy dog staring inside, He didnt seem scared at all, so we threw him out a bit of bread. which he ate there, instead of grabbing and running off. We got him to take sausages out of our hands, even gave him chocolate raisens.

I dont know if hed been hand reared and released, or whether he was just a bit dull in the head, but he came back for maybe 3 or 4 nights on the trot, and then never saw him again

 

[SimonM]

First time I took my kids to my bushy playground, we sat watching the fallow deer. After about 10 minutes I decided to see if I could find a way through dead ground to get nearer. Moving quietly, I rounded a small tree covered knoll, and nearly walked into a red deer stag (nearly = 5m) it looked at me, I looked at it and thought "Carp" - it barked once and disappeared into the undergrowth.

When I told my kids they didn't believe me!

Simon

 

[durulz]

@ Saddle Tramp - that's relatively common. If you keep still, or keep your actions obvious, foxes will often just stand there looking at you. It becomes quite easy to feed them. Several times I have fed foxes late at night, and they often come back because they think of it as a food source. The south east is the most densely populated part of the UK, and so they are used to seeing humans. It still leaves me stunned and amazed that an animal as large as a fox (and you can get some big buggers) still exist wild in this country. They are so shockingly beautiful.

OK, my close encounter. Still not sure what it was that I saw. We were camping out in some woods near Challock (which is near Ashford, in Kent) and during the walk in, this absolutely massive bird of prey swooped down from the tree tops, just 15 feet or so off the ground, twisting between the trunks and then lurched back up into the canopy again. It took all of 5 or 6 seconds. But it was quite distinctive purely for its size. The wingspan was at least a metre or so across. It was quite scary, because if something like that decides to have a peck it's going to hurt. Our first thoughts were 'eagle'. But that couldn't be the case because there are no eagles in the south east. When I got home I looked it up in a book of birds and the best bet I can come up with is that it was a Goshawk - the largest bird of prey in the south east. If anyone knows the area I am talking about and knows what it may have been I'd love to know.
I just remember the size and how surprising it was to see something so big in the wild. Oh, and we also saw deer as well, but that wasn't so surprising since we knew there were deer there and had seen them before.

 

[Sniper]

Got the shock of my life one night when out on Soltau training area, went for a "shovel recce" about 11 o'clock. There was I hugging a tree in regimental fashion when 3 little cute piglets came wandering into this little clearing of mine. First reaction oh cute then realisation set in "wheres Momma" I just got my kit up to my knees when mummy came looking for the little ones. She was the full monty umpty feet high with long hair like porcupine quills and big black eyes, she stopped and looked at me, I stopped and looked at her, we both squeeled and I set of running pulling my trousers up as I ran with her in hot pursuit behind me and gaining fast. When I got to the apc back door I leaped in and heaved the half ton armour door tight behind me. Quickly opened up the mortar hatches and climbed up on top to see her trotting off back into the woods glancing back every few steps. "Go on beggar off"... I shouted after her with my new found courage with 15 ton of armour plate between her and me. Went for my shovel recces during the day after that.

 

[Barn Owl]

@ Saddle Tramp - that's relatively common. If you keep still, or keep your actions obvious, foxes will often just stand there looking at you. It becomes quite easy to feed them. Several times I have fed foxes late at night, and they often come back because they think of it as a food source. The south east is the most densely populated part of the UK, and so they are used to seeing humans. It still leaves me stunned and amazed that an animal as large as a fox (and you can get some big buggers) still exist wild in this country. They are so shockingly beautiful.

OK, my close encounter. Still not sure what it was that I saw. We were camping out in some woods near Challock (which is near Ashford, in Kent) and during the walk in, this absolutely massive bird of prey swooped down from the tree tops, just 15 feet or so off the ground, twisting between the trunks and then lurched back up into the canopy again. It took all of 5 or 6 seconds. But it was quite distinctive purely for its size. The wingspan was at least a metre or so across. It was quite scary, because if something like that decides to have a peck it's going to hurt. Our first thoughts were 'eagle'. But that couldn't be the case because there are no eagles in the south east. When I got home I looked it up in a book of birds and the best bet I can come up with is that it was a Goshawk - the largest bird of prey in the south east. If anyone knows the area I am talking about and knows what it may have been I'd love to know.
I just remember the size and how surprising it was to see something so big in the wild. Oh, and we also saw deer as well, but that wasn't so surprising since we knew there were deer there and had seen them before.

Sounds like a Gos' to me,or possibly a female Sparrowhawk.

 

[WolfCub]

2 spring to mind. While working in Uganda I got a brief chance to go to one of thier National Park. There had been a splash of rain and we came across a puddle swarming with the most amazing display of butterflies. Stopped truck , admired, then waited while one of the team tried to get some pictures.

This gave me chance to jump the verge and walk, keeping an eye out for beasties, about 15 meters to a bush below/beside a tree. Step between the two and have a leak, still allert for beasties.

Turned to walk back and saw one of the team on top of the truck waving at me to come back. Just about to wave I'd seen him when he clapped hand over his mouth and signalled 'down' , slowly. I did as 'told'.

Waited

Then he signaled to come forward slow and quiet. A bit bemused , I did so.

He was more sickly grey than white when I reached him ? Reason ? "Look at the bush you were behind" yes "Look at the tree branch you were under" yes "Look whats on the branch" ye...

I needed rather more than a leak. Less than 2 foot above where my head had been was a lioness !!!

The other encounter was a buzzard coming round the crags on the back of Skiddaw, seemingly straight at us , point blank ! Dog hit the ground flat ,closely followed by me !

Beautifully impressive bids !

 

[forrestdweller]

do sharing a shower with a 150-cm-long king brown-snake and walking around a boulder and ca. 7metres ahead of me a over 3m-long "saltie"(a so-called problem crocodile) runs into the sea count (=once on a campground in the darkness nearly stepping on a "freshie")as "close calls"?

 

[callum_parr]

i was on a bike ride in the dales one nights there were 6 of us but we had no lights as we came in to a small village with no lights i heard a shout from the front of the pack and one of us feel off our bikes we all had a good laugh and asked what happened fish me gd freind told me he came face to face with a large bat! none of us believed him there was no way a bat would fly in to him however the bat was to return to me but this time it hit me .... the bat flew straight in to my face .... i can positivly say this is my closest encounter with a bat

"All ways remember your best peice of equipment when in the wild is your head."

 

[Toddy]

I looked back in the direction (through mist fogged spectacles) that the call had come from only to come almost face to face with a large white shape gliding silently out of the tree line. With all the control I could muster I squeeled like a four year old girl and ducked while Marley legged it half way up the path.

Sorry Rob, but that's hilarious............ You're 6' '2" dammit and I've got this perfect image of you squealing like that stuck in my head .......and coffee all over the keyboard again.

atb,
M

p.s. someday I'll tell you about the encounter with the poacher, the cat and the fox, and me in a white goonie down the burn in the middle of the night

 

[Sleepy Weasel]

Let me set the scene.....

A bunch of kids at the end of our street, hanging about after bombing about on our bikes, jsut seeing how long it would be before the first kid has to go home 'coz it's getting dark. The end of our street was an old train station with a big old ash tree near the fence with a street lamp by it. Me, with my red Raleigh Grifter(long before mountain bikes) and my other parters in crime with the usual collection of scabby hand me down bikes. It's getting dark now and we're really pushing the envelope as to how long we can stay out before we really cop it from our parents for staying out after dark(around 9pm) Suddenly a big white shape glides silently up and lands without a sound in the big old ash tree, in full view of the lot of us. That did it, we didn't hang around! the lot of us bomburst away as fast as our legs could pedal!

That must have happened more than 30 years ago and I can still remember how scared we all were!

That was my introduction to a barn owl.

 

[Scally]

Mine was on the first night on poacher watch the estate was in hertfordshire many years ago i was sat with my back to a tree just inside the woods all of a sudden a loud bark erupted from behind me 60+ times did this Munjac (barking dear) bark that night with it's alarm call and 60+ times i climbed back down the tree. headkeeper laughed for a week