Interesting little facts...

[Ian]

Wasn't there an urban myth that went along with the arm breaking thing that a Pike could kill a Swan, or did I dream that?

Ducks I heard. Sneak up underneath and pull them under.
Pike are rather tasty

[v8-powered]

We have a Sparrowhawk that feeds in our garden sometimes, I posted a picture of it here a while ago, Mrs Potter feeds the birds twice a day with mealworms and other stuff she buys for them, so she's created a perfect environment for the Sparrowhawk to nip down occasionally and grab a Blackbird.

We also have a Barn Owl that hangs around but I've only seen it once, other people from the village seem to manage to get pictures of him all the time but I seem to miss him, we've got a massive Oak tree in the garden and the bigger birds like that, but the owl doesn't, he's more likely to be seen on a fence post along the road somewhere just sitting there not giving a hoot (:lol: ).

We've had a sparrow hawk here - but didn't see it last year (although there was a few days of unaccountable silences in the garden).

We have a Barn owl who patrols the field and we often see it at dusk. I do love seeing all the wildlife around here - we had 7 Buzzards circling something just this morning.

We have an owl of some description that loiters around our place - excuse the shite image but was getting a bit dark!

20230524_212826~2.jpg (1023.65 KiB) Viewed 519 times

Get a lot of Buzzards and Kites milling around too, often getting harassed by Crows

[Buckaroo]

Stone the crows

[Rockburner]

We have an owl of some description that loiters around our place - excuse the shite image but was getting a bit dark!

20230524_212826~2.jpg

Holy crap.... well - I'm not sleeping for the next week...

[Mr. Dazzle]

That's clearly Spider Monkey anyway.

[KungFooBob]

How did he get a camera to take a picture of what he was actually seeing on the LSD?

[Slenver]

How did he get a camera to take a picture of what he was actually seeing on the LSD?

I want some of what that camera's been smoking.

[Skub]

Camera work by H.P.Lovecraft.

[v8-powered]

How did he get a camera to take a picture of what he was actually seeing on the LSD?

I want some of what that camera's been smoking.

It was twilight (spooky!), taken through our living room window at about 30ft using my phone camera

[Taipan]

Incidents. Between 1907 and 2023, there have been 156 fatalities during official practices or races on the Snaefell Mountain Course, and 269 total fatalities (this number includes the riders killed during the Manx Grand Prix, and Clubman TT race series of the late 1940s/1950s).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_M ... 0s%2F1950s).

[Noggin]

Incidents. Between 1907 and 2023, there have been 156 fatalities during official practices or races on the Snaefell Mountain Course, and 269 total fatalities (this number includes the riders killed during the Manx Grand Prix, and Clubman TT race series of the late 1940s/1950s).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_M ... 0s%2F1950s).

Now get a statistician to work out how many that is per km raced - and do the same over the track circuit series. It's still high yes, but it's an incredible course with matching risks. And, TBF, that's only a little over one a year (and the Manx has more novices, so it's more likely there will be crashes) - very sad, but a risk everyone knows and is willing to take

[mangocrazy]

Incidents. Between 1907 and 2023, there have been 156 fatalities during official practices or races on the Snaefell Mountain Course, and 269 total fatalities (this number includes the riders killed during the Manx Grand Prix, and Clubman TT race series of the late 1940s/1950s).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_M ... 0s%2F1950s).

Now get a statistician to work out how many that is per km raced - and do the same over the track circuit series. It's still high yes, but it's an incredible course with matching risks. And, TBF, that's only a little over one a year (and the Manx has more novices, so it's more likely there will be crashes) - very sad, but a risk everyone knows and is willing to take

There is no way you can ever make a course with a lap length of 37.75 miles, running through towns and villages with all the attendant road side hazards 'safe'. At least not without spending millions (probably billions) and totally transforming the look of the place (and doubtless facing stiff opposition from the people who actually live there). The risk is known by all and is staring you in the face, so no-one is under duress to race there. It wasn't always the case, of course but the TT lost World Championship status in the mid 1970s and still survives.

[Noggin]

Incidents. Between 1907 and 2023, there have been 156 fatalities during official practices or races on the Snaefell Mountain Course, and 269 total fatalities (this number includes the riders killed during the Manx Grand Prix, and Clubman TT race series of the late 1940s/1950s).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_M ... 0s%2F1950s).

Now get a statistician to work out how many that is per km raced - and do the same over the track circuit series. It's still high yes, but it's an incredible course with matching risks. And, TBF, that's only a little over one a year (and the Manx has more novices, so it's more likely there will be crashes) - very sad, but a risk everyone knows and is willing to take

There is no way you can ever make a course with a lap length of 37.75 miles, running through towns and villages with all the attendant road side hazards 'safe'. At least not without spending millions (probably billions) and totally transforming the look of the place (and doubtless facing stiff opposition from the people who actually live there). The risk is known by all and is staring you in the face, so no-one is under duress to race there. It wasn't always the case, of course but the TT lost World Championship status in the mid 1970s and still survives.

Exactly. When I first marshalled there, the deputy marshall in my area did some stats that showed that there was very little difference per km raced between uk circuits as a whole and TT. That's the only reason I mention it.

I'd hate to see the TT and Manx stopped - they are amazing

[Taipan]

In 1985 a New Orleans man drowned at a party attended by 100 lifeguards who were celebrating having made it through the summer without a drowning at a city pool.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Which season in 1985?

[JackyJoll]

I remember 80,000 racing miles at a TT being mentioned one year I was there.

[ZRX61]

Now get a statistician to work out how many that is per km raced - and do the same over the track circuit series. It's still high yes, but it's an incredible course with matching risks. And, TBF, that's only a little over one a year (and the Manx has more novices, so it's more likely there will be crashes) - very sad, but a risk everyone knows and is willing to take

Proper tracks have a series of actual bends, IoM is mostly very fast sweepers where the guys are flat out.

[mangocrazy]

Now get a statistician to work out how many that is per km raced - and do the same over the track circuit series. It's still high yes, but it's an incredible course with matching risks. And, TBF, that's only a little over one a year (and the Manx has more novices, so it's more likely there will be crashes) - very sad, but a risk everyone knows and is willing to take

Proper tracks have a series are actual bends, IoM is mostly very fast sweepers where the guys are flat out.

I'd dispute that. Yes, there are a lot of very high speed sections - there has to be otherwise the lap speeds wouldn't be north of 130mph. But there are a lot of slow and medium speed corners, as there would be on any public road.

[Yorick]

Now get a statistician to work out how many that is per km raced - and do the same over the track circuit series. It's still high yes, but it's an incredible course with matching risks. And, TBF, that's only a little over one a year (and the Manx has more novices, so it's more likely there will be crashes) - very sad, but a risk everyone knows and is willing to take

Proper tracks have a series of actual bends, IoM is mostly very fast sweepers where the guys are flat out.

Davie Todd got his elbow down at the Bungalow. No not really a straight

[Noggin]

Now get a statistician to work out how many that is per km raced - and do the same over the track circuit series. It's still high yes, but it's an incredible course with matching risks. And, TBF, that's only a little over one a year (and the Manx has more novices, so it's more likely there will be crashes) - very sad, but a risk everyone knows and is willing to take

Proper tracks have a series of actual bends, IoM is mostly very fast sweepers where the guys are flat out.

Seriously? Have you ever ridden the course? Not being funny, but the only flat out is through relatively straight bits in villages and a bit of the mountain. The rest is corners of varying severity, including a handful of hairpins/90 degree turns. Even the almost flat out series of bends has some seriously interesting bits to deal with either end, so rarely flat out for long!!! Honestly, how you can possibly think it's "Mostly very fast sweepers" is incredible!!