Cyclists want to kill ducks?

[Commander Kinsey]

http://jasonendfield.weebly.com/home/mallards-a-safety-concern-to-passing-cyclists

[Kim Wall]

On 09/11/2019 20:50, Commander Kinsey wrote:
> http://jasonendfield.weebly.com/home/mallards-a-safety-concern-to-passing-cyclists

Someone who's clearly never met the Aston ASBO Geese...


Kim.
--

[Ian Jackson]

In article <op.0az9i2rhwdg98l@glass>,
Commander Kinsey <CFKi...@military.org.jp> wrote:
>http://jasonendfield.weebly.com/home/mallards-a-safety-concern-to-passing-cyclists

Insanity.

Also, don't read the comments (like I did).

--
Ian Jackson <ijac...@chiark.greenend.org.uk> These opinions are my own.

If I emailed you from an address @fyvzl.net or @evade.org.uk, that is
a private address which bypasses my fierce spamfilter.

[Commander Kinsey]

On Mon, 11 Nov 2019 14:11:56 -0000, Ian Jackson <ijac...@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:

> In article <op.0az9i2rhwdg98l@glass>,
> Commander Kinsey <CFKi...@military.org.jp> wrote:
>> http://jasonendfield.weebly.com/home/mallards-a-safety-concern-to-passing-cyclists
>
> Insanity.
>
> Also, don't read the comments (like I did).

Most of the comments are sensible, there are a few fools who think cyclists are a danger. I see no problem with birds, pedestrians, and cyclists all sharing the same paths and simply going around each other. Not rocket science is it? Bird flies off or cyclist slows down. Pedestrian steps to the side or cyclist moves over a bit. Easy. No need to ban or kill any of the three.

[Tosspot]

Exactly, there's no real need to make a mallard out of a molehill :-)

[Zebee Johnstone]

In uk.rec.cycling.moderated on Tue, 12 Nov 2019 16:14:29 -0000

We have ducks at work. They noticed the ponds in the main quadrangle
and moved in when we did. Everyone co-exists quite happily although
humans have more chance of stepping in duckshit than vice versa.

ON hot days they'll take over one of the lunch tables to sit in the shade
under it, but one table won't kill us. They are pretty chill generally,
they won't fly out of your way and they have been known to just sit in
a patch of shade in the middle of the walkway and stare at you rather
than move but on the whole they are just there. (unlike the masked
lapwing who is a very protective ground nester. Had to erect temp
fencing around her nest to stop people getting too close and being
attacked)

Bike path between work and the local shopping centre has a far few
bush turkeys, they do get in the way occasionally but very seldom and
slowing down or swerving works. Path near me has ducks and ibis,
again everyone co-exists OK.

Zebee

[Commander Kinsey]

On Tue, 12 Nov 2019 19:49:45 -0000, Zebee Johnstone <zeb...@gmail.com> wrote:

> In uk.rec.cycling.moderated on Tue, 12 Nov 2019 16:14:29 -0000
> Commander Kinsey <CFKi...@military.org.jp> wrote:
>> On Mon, 11 Nov 2019 14:11:56 -0000, Ian Jackson <ijac...@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:
>>
>>> In article <op.0az9i2rhwdg98l@glass>,
>>> Commander Kinsey <CFKi...@military.org.jp> wrote:
>>>> http://jasonendfield.weebly.com/home/mallards-a-safety-concern-to-passing-cyclists
>>>
>>> Insanity.
>>>
>>> Also, don't read the comments (like I did).
>>
>> Most of the comments are sensible, there are a few fools who think cyclists are a danger. I see no problem with birds, pedestrians, and cyclists all sharing the same paths and simply going around each other. Not rocket science is it? Bird flies off or cyclist slows down. Pedestrian steps to the side or cyclist moves over a bit. Easy. No need to ban or kill any of the three.
>
> We have ducks at work. They noticed the ponds in the main quadrangle
> and moved in when we did. Everyone co-exists quite happily although
> humans have more chance of stepping in duckshit than vice versa.

Now that made me laugh.

> ON hot days they'll take over one of the lunch tables to sit in the shade
> under it, but one table won't kill us.

I'd be inclined to have my lunch at that table, and feed the ducks.

> They are pretty chill generally,
> they won't fly out of your way

How friendly will they get? I was in a (touristy) forest once where small birds like chaffinches actually landed on your arm if you stood perfectly still and had bread on it.

> and they have been known to just sit in
> a patch of shade in the middle of the walkway and stare at you rather
> than move but on the whole they are just there.

When I worked in a university, a group of about 6 ducks actually walked across the zebra crossing in front of me while I was driving home (and yes I stopped). Some students were quite amused, and when the ducks came to a halt in the middle of the road and just started looking around for no reason, they attempted to hurry them up as a queue of cars was forming. I don't know if the ducks realised they were crossing at a sensible place, or whether it just happened to be on a path they were using. Although do ducks follow paths? I think they were tarmac or concrete, If I was a duck I would have used the neighbouring grass.

> (unlike the masked
> lapwing who is a very protective ground nester. Had to erect temp
> fencing around her nest to stop people getting too close and being
> attacked)

I wouldn't have been concerned about the people, but about the nest.

> Bike path between work and the local shopping centre has a far few
> bush turkeys, they do get in the way occasionally but very seldom and
> slowing down or swerving works. Path near me has ducks and ibis,
> again everyone co-exists OK.

Yes most people get on just fine, but there's always one. I once nicked the keys out of a Range Rover somebody had parked at the top of a track I was cycling on. He had gone off to shoot deer. The keys are presumably still somewhere in the bog I through them into. I hope he was greatly inconvenienced.

[Nick Maclaren]

In article <slrnqsm36p...@gmail.com>,

Zebee Johnstone <zeb...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>We have ducks at work. They noticed the ponds in the main quadrangle
>and moved in when we did. Everyone co-exists quite happily although
>humans have more chance of stepping in duckshit than vice versa.

It depends. I don't have any experience of how ducks behave in that
context, but the danger is if they wait until the last minute and
then rush across - as sheep often do. The problem is that (a) you
can't always see a duck in the undergrowth and (b) you can only slow
down so far and still control the bicycle.

Hitting a duck at ANY speed is likely to knock many vulnerable
(bi)cyclists off, with the risk of very serious injury or death.
I doubt that I could stay up, though would be OK on the trike,
but I am not yet as fragile as many cyclists.

The other problem (which relates to eating locations) is that ducks
and their shit are a major source of fairly nasty diseases - it is
believed that most of the lethal influenza epidemics were harmless
infections of ducks that crossed the species barrier.

It sounds a bit excessive, even so, but it's not as insane as it
appears at first sight.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

[Julian Bradfield]

On 2019-11-13, Nick Maclaren <n...@wheeler.UUCP> wrote:
> The other problem (which relates to eating locations) is that ducks
> and their shit are a major source of fairly nasty diseases - it is
> believed that most of the lethal influenza epidemics were harmless
> infections of ducks that crossed the species barrier.

I think that's a bit overstated. According to my local 'flu amateur
expert (i.e. not a virologist, but has been following the literature
for 20 years), the origin of the 1918 highly lethal pandemic is
unknown, but may have been from birds; the Asian and Hong Kong flus
came from pigs; and the 1977 pandemic came from a lab freezer.

"Crossed the species barrier" is not accurate either - that's fairly
rare. What happens is that animal and human flu viruses swap genes,
giving a new potency to either or both strains.

Such pandemic causing events mostly happen in places where humans and
animals/birds live intensively in close proximity, notably rural East
Asia. Ducks do carry a lot of mostly asymptomatic flu, and are a good
source of DNA reassortment (and make good eating) so they are a
danger; but the chance that a cyclist falling into duck shit is going
to cause the next pandemic is negligible compared to that of a Chinese
farmer doing it!

--
The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in
Scotland, with registration number SC005336.

[Zebee Johnstone]

In uk.rec.cycling.moderated on Tue, 12 Nov 2019 20:21:20 -0000

Commander Kinsey <CFKi...@military.org.jp> wrote:
> On Tue, 12 Nov 2019 19:49:45 -0000, Zebee Johnstone <zeb...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> ON hot days they'll take over one of the lunch tables to sit in the shade
>> under it, but one table won't kill us.
>
> I'd be inclined to have my lunch at that table, and feed the ducks.

No room for your feet :) there are 7 ducks and they stick together.
Usually just room for them all under the small tables and 3 or 4
chairs.

>
>> They are pretty chill generally,
>> they won't fly out of your way
>
> How friendly will they get? I was in a (touristy) forest once where small birds like chaffinches actually landed on your arm if you stood perfectly still and had bread on it.
>

Not supposed to feed the ducks. THey will scavenge up to the point of
wandering into the food court looking for dropped food but the rules
are to leave the wildlife alone. We have ravens who scavenge bins
quite fearlessly (as in one of them was sitting on the bin when I
chucked something in and didn't even give me the side-eye) but feeding
is forbidden. They know we won't hurt them but we don't want them
getting in any way aggressive as hand fed wildlife does.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-02/agro-kangaroos-addicted-to-carrots-attack-tourists/9716612

Zebee

[Zebee Johnstone]

In uk.rec.cycling.moderated on Wed, 13 Nov 2019 14:57:20 -0000 (UTC)

Nick Maclaren <n...@wheeler.UUCP> wrote:
> In article <slrnqsm36p...@gmail.com>,
> Zebee Johnstone <zeb...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>We have ducks at work. They noticed the ponds in the main quadrangle
>>and moved in when we did. Everyone co-exists quite happily although
>>humans have more chance of stepping in duckshit than vice versa.
>
> It depends. I don't have any experience of how ducks behave in that
> context, but the danger is if they wait until the last minute and
> then rush across - as sheep often do. The problem is that (a) you
> can't always see a duck in the undergrowth and (b) you can only slow
> down so far and still control the bicycle.

Haven't seen birds do that. Kanga-bloody-roos now, they are famous
for it.

Zebee

[Kim Wall]

On 13/11/2019 20:08, Zebee Johnstone wrote:
> In uk.rec.cycling.moderated on Wed, 13 Nov 2019 14:57:20 -0000 (UTC)
> Nick Maclaren <n...@wheeler.UUCP> wrote:
>> In article <slrnqsm36p...@gmail.com>,

>> It depends. I don't have any experience of how ducks behave in that
>> context, but the danger is if they wait until the last minute and
>> then rush across - as sheep often do. The problem is that (a) you
>> can't always see a duck in the undergrowth and (b) you can only slow
>> down so far and still control the bicycle.
>
> Haven't seen birds do that. Kanga-bloody-roos now, they are famous
> for it.

Pheasants do that sort of thing. I had one run into my bike while I was
winching myself up Watership Down[1] with a full touring load.

It's hard to sympathise with an animal quite so suicidally stupid.
Their threat-avoidance strategy seems to be calibrated for avoiding
snipers, rather than vehicles. Which is ironic.


Kim.
--
[1] Not a rabbit in sight, naturally.

[Jaimie Vandenbergh]

On Wed, 13 Nov 2019 21:26:44 +0000, Kim Wall <k...@ductilebiscuit.net>
wrote:

They have been rather well bred for exactly their 'purpose' - being shot
by the dozen for fun by idiots with shotguns. They lurk on the ground
until properly startled, then whizz up into the air with great fuss and
bother. Once they're aloft and have successfully attracted
muzzle-pointing attention they glide straight for three seconds, flap
like lunatics for a moment to remind the shooters they're there, then
glide straight again for a few seconds. Rinse repeat until lead
poisoning sets in.

It's quite impressive really, given how counter-survival all that is.

Cheers - Jaimie
--
Cartography:
The fine art of loading cars into ballistas and flinging them into walls
-- http://www.bunny-comic.com/586.html

[Commander Kinsey]

On Wed, 13 Nov 2019 20:07:28 -0000, Zebee Johnstone <zeb...@gmail.com> wrote:

> In uk.rec.cycling.moderated on Tue, 12 Nov 2019 20:21:20 -0000
> Commander Kinsey <CFKi...@military.org.jp> wrote:
>> On Tue, 12 Nov 2019 19:49:45 -0000, Zebee Johnstone <zeb...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> ON hot days they'll take over one of the lunch tables to sit in the shade
>>> under it, but one table won't kill us.
>>
>> I'd be inclined to have my lunch at that table, and feed the ducks.
>
> No room for your feet :) there are 7 ducks and they stick together.
> Usually just room for them all under the small tables and 3 or 4
> chairs.

What happens to your feet if you get too close? I would have thought they'd all pop out and beg for your sandwiches.

>>> They are pretty chill generally,
>>> they won't fly out of your way
>>
>> How friendly will they get? I was in a (touristy) forest once where small birds like chaffinches actually landed on your arm if you stood perfectly still and had bread on it.
>
> Not supposed to feed the ducks. THey will scavenge up to the point of
> wandering into the food court looking for dropped food but the rules
> are to leave the wildlife alone. We have ravens who scavenge bins
> quite fearlessly (as in one of them was sitting on the bin when I
> chucked something in and didn't even give me the side-eye) but feeding
> is forbidden. They know we won't hurt them but we don't want them
> getting in any way aggressive as hand fed wildlife does.
>
> https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-02/agro-kangaroos-addicted-to-carrots-attack-tourists/9716612

Oh come on, ducks aren't as dangerous as kangaroos. The only sensible reason to ban feeding them is if the droppings are making a mess.

[Zebee Johnstone]

In uk.rec.cycling.moderated on Wed, 13 Nov 2019 20:17:36 -0000

Nope. Most human food such as bread based is bad for them and can
cause issues. Look up angel wing in ducks.

THey also end up trying from people who may wish them harm or be scared
and flail.


Zebee

[David Damerell]

Quoting Commander Kinsey <CFKi...@military.org.jp>:
>http://jasonendfield.weebly.com/home/mallards-a-safety-concern-to-passing-cyclists

Re the Subject "Cyclists want to kill ducks?" it seems on reading the
story that someone wants to kill ducks and finds cyclists provide a
convenient excuse.
--
David Damerell <dame...@chiark.greenend.org.uk>
And now, a seemingly inexplicable shot of a passing train.
Today is First Tuesday, November.
Tomorrow will be First Wednesday, November.