I got attacked by an OWL last night on my run

If the owl thinks that you are watching it, it won't attack. You can probably prevent attack by wearing a mask on the back of your head, but you will look goofy. It's all about your priorities.

This actually happened to me too, not too long ago. This spring I was running through a residential neighborhood around 8 or 9 at night, pretty quiet out, and suddenly I felt like someone was running their fingers through my hair. I was pretty freaked out and looked all around me because I hadn't heard a thing, and I looked up and saw a big owl flapping away to land on a tree branch overhead. Didn't grab me or anything, but definitely shook me up. I suspect that owl's might mistake the hair on top of your head for some sort of furry prey.

I had a similar thing happen last summer with a gosshawk. The park I was running in had signs plastered around that said "WARNING: Beware of Gosshawk" but, of course, I ignored them. Sure enough, I'm running along and I hear a bunch of screeching and then feel something hit the top of my head. I look up and sure enough there's a huge freaking bird flying back up to its nest above me. I guess it was protecting its young. I'm just really glad it only hit me with its tail feathers and not its talons.

I stopped running past the nest for a few weeks and eventually the birds moved on.

Lower Woodland a couple of years ago- a small screech owl.

Tony Young said that he had the same thing happen at Redmond watershed. Must be a Seattle area thing with owls?!

when i ride my bike out in the country during the summer i often get attacked by red wing black birds. several times they have grabbed my helmet and once one actually took a chunk out of it. i've had to swing at them with my air pump several times.

Are you a mouse?

yeah, i get followed by red wing blackbirds all the time, but they haven't attacked yet. they just kind of hover over me and make loud screeching noises. the first day it happened i started thinking, "What in the hell is going on?" I'm from a big town but moved to a smaller town, so I've never had this type of thing happen to me before until I moved. I've grown used to them but I wouldn't be shocked if they peck the shit out of me sometime. Last night, also, I guess a bunch of dragon flies must have hatched or something because they were swarming around me for about a mile stretch of my run. That was fricking weird too and, since I hate any type of bugs, a bit scary.

Ah, the joys of running!

There's a variety of flies in Maine that enjoy a good luch time run - they will bite you while you're running. It doesn't matter how fast you run either, as they can fly rapid circles around you while you sprint. They are mean, lean, biting machines.

I'm also from Seattle and have been attacked on a run, but by a bat, not an owl. It happened on the Burke Gilman trail last January at around sunset. I was wearing a thin running hat, but felt something pointy grab my head. At first I thought I snagged against some low branches, but stopped and looked around and there were no low branches there. I realized it had to be a bat when I saw one a little later swooping down my street, near the BG trail, towards me.

Australia is notorious for its swooping birds like the Plover and Magpie. Plovers have little burrs on their feet and they try to stab your head when they swoop. This happens mostly when they are nesting, and since they nest on the ground, runners are constantly under threat.

a pocket slingshot helps...

derhdffd wrote:

yeah, i get followed by red wing blackbirds all the time, but they haven't attacked yet. they just kind of hover over me and make loud screeching noises. the first day it happened i started thinking, "What in the hell is going on?" I'm from a big town but moved to a smaller town, so I've never had this type of thing happen to me before until I moved. I've grown used to them but I wouldn't be shocked if they peck the shit out of me sometime. Last night, also, I guess a bunch of dragon flies must have hatched or something because they were swarming around me for about a mile stretch of my run. That was fricking weird too and, since I hate any type of bugs, a bit scary.

the dragon flies were eating the mosquitoes and other biting flies that were trying to get at you. Dragon flies are harmless and help to cut down on the annoying bugs. Nothing to be scared of, you need to stop being such a pussy.

Well, according to many Northwest native tribes, that means you are going to die soon. He/she was trying to take you to the spirit world...

This happened to a guy I worked with years ago. The owl kept attacking him, he couldn't see it coming 'til the last second each time. Creepy.

Over the years I would cut through a pasture to cut my usual run short. The first time it happened to me I thought someone had shot a bullet past my head. I heard this whistling screaming swoosh and felt something go through my hair. Some kind of Falcon was using my head for low strafing runs. It pulled up and proceeded to do it again. Then I wouldn't have it happen for a long time and would just forget about it. Then viola same thing.

I got "attacked" by a duck on one of my runs by a pond. I was running on a bike path that went around a pond and went through a group of ducks. One of the ducks that I came near quacked at me and lunged towards me. I jumped to the side real quick and just laughed it off as I ran away.

But, ever since that incident, I make sure I run with mace and a switchblade just in case one of them ever takes me down and I get attacked by a group of ducks. Those fvckers will never mess with me again. So, if any of you ever hear about a family of ducks that was slaughtered in Columbus, Ohio, that was ME!!!

It wasn't me.

your comment about ducks is funny but you should know, those bastards are vicious among one another. a group of male ducks are known to gang rape females until they die... that isn't a joke either. they also resort to cannibalism among one another. all this is true. look it up.

Geese have a major attitude too. They'll chase you just fuccin with you.

God, I hate birds - I wish they would all die