Birdstrikes

[dcsob]

Last count 5. Redwinged black bird central Wisconsin, hit helmet while sporting on the xv920. Pheasant, south Dakota, right bank of cylinders on a goldwing, a cool yellow bird the size of a sparrow same trip into radiator guard mesh western Minnesota. Pigeon downtown Minneapolis on the chopper.
Best one though was out in Utah. A seagull hit the xv920, while we were proceeding smartly down the interstate, in the front of the fairing just above the headlight and "Pouffe" a cloud of feathers every where. Wife started coughing and hacking asked(screamed actually) what the hell was that. I'm sneezing and laughing, braking all at same time thinking, Seagull a seagull? Here? Little pin feathers were everywhere, we would find them in our gear for the rest of the trip.
Plus multiple critters while blasting home from various trips, collateral damage is how I view them.
And yes I did gut out the pheasant, cooked it that night over a campfire, with store bought garlic bread and a bottle of $2.99 rose'. Better than letting it rot on the road side.

[h2olawyer]

Sort of a tangent to provide info.  Seagulls are pretty common in the western US.  We have a bunch here in Ft. Collins - they all tend to hang out at the dump (landfill for those under 40).  Look at the birds on the tops of the spires on the Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City - they are topped by golden birds.  Those birds are seagulls.  Soon after Brigham Young and the rest of the early Mormon settlers arrived in that area, they had planted crops.  Just as the crops were getting established, an infestation of locusts hit the area (Rocky Mountain Locusts - not seen since the late 1800s).  being the highly religious types, they prayed for help from God.  Before the crops were totally destroyed, large numbers of seagulls came in and devoured the locusts.  They have held a special place in the Moron Church ever since.  Personally, I find them ugly & dirty - akin to pigeons - but I'm not a Mormon.  The above is a well documented story that they tell to people taking tours of Temple Square and Brigham Young's house in Salt Lake City.

Next Utah trivia - why are the state highway signs in Utah decorated with a beehive?

H₂O

[Brian Moffet]

Next Utah trivia - why are the state highway signs in Utah decorated with a beehive?

It's ths state hairdo?

[Walt_M.]

The Utah state motto is 'Industry' and the beehive is the symbol of industry. Ok, I cheated.

[funkamongus]

I like Moffet's answer better!!!

[h2olawyer]

Walt has one of the answers.  The other has to do with the 27 wives of Brigham Young.  He built a (necessarily) large house for them and it became known as the "Beehive House" because of all the activity going on there.  Beehives thus became another institution in the Mormon faith.  And you thought you had it bad with the 'honey-dos' of one wife!

My cousins lived in Salt Lake in the 70s & 80s, so I had several visits out there and did the tourist stuff a few times.  The Mormon Tabernacle is an amazing structure.  For many years, it was the largest self supporting domed structure in the world.  It is where the Moron Tabernacle Choir sings & there's a fantastic pipe organ there.  In the tours, they give a great acoustic demonstration.  Even when the hall is nearly empty, you can easily hear a speaker talking in a normal voice without echos.  Then they drop a pin & even from the back of the large room, you can hear it hit the podium clearly - unamplified.  Pretty amazing design for the 1870s.  It is a fascinating tour even if you are an agnostic or athiest.  Highly recommended if you find yourself in Salt Lake city with an afternoon to kill.

H₂O

[funkamongus]

now that IS interesting. 27 wives. Good god man. I cant imagine.

[RedRocket]

I  once took a seagull hit to the helmet.  Luckily it wasn't full on, just a glancing blow. 
Shook me pretty good though I didn't crash.

[funkamongus]

Aw Re that sucks!! Damn turkey... Barbed wire is no fun, I have a little experience with that, myself.

[Ken Williams]

Many years ago, I ran over a seagull entering turn 4 on the first lap of a race at Daytona.  I saw the strike and cloud of feathers within the lead group of riders.  The bird reappeared, flopping on the track directly in front of me.  The front tire slid as I finished him off, but I did not crash. 

[Rikugun]

The front tire slid as I finished him off

I feel sorry for the corner worker that got to clean that mess off the track! Yech!

[jasonm.]

I was coming back from Joevacc's...and at WFO on the country roads. Hit a poor finch or sparrow. Feathers and guts flying off the forks and radiator. Lucky my radiator did not get a hole. The rad gaurd did it's job. I have hit 2 squirrels . One of them came off the rear tire and almost hit the biker behind me. My bro-in-law.