Animal Antics

[JP]

I teach Bushcraft and survival skills and one night on a course under the stars i was sleeping when something woke me crawling on my eye lid, reflex action (no i never screamed lol) i grabbed it with my thumb and forefinger only to have it squirt a defence fluid into my eye socket, i keep my wash kit close for the mornings (obvious reasons) grabbed the campers friend a wet wipe and wiped the now burning fluid away it was like rubbing chilli paste into your eye, with all the rummaging in my sleeping bag Mr Crawly got away, that day i scoured the area on and off looking for anything it could have been and then there it was I found my evil attacker it was a Shield bug or Stink bug I found this out by gently squeezing the little fellow till he did his business the smell was unmistakeable.
Well as you can imagine I was the only person that fully apreciated this that weekend but It was another one of natures lessons in my book, it along with the odd slug stuck to my face on damp mornings and spider in the sleeping bag while kipping in the woods are occupational hazards I suppose
There is a reason to my ramblings, have any of you a Nature related funny story? or something that happened that you wasnt quite expecting wild life wise? (ill be at work 12 hrs today take pity on me and keep me amused please! )

[StuartDH]

It's a bit of a long one...

Ten years ago I took a last minute hiking trip to the south of france and slept my first night on the beach. I got into my sleeping bag and looked up at the stars, only to see big clouds rolling in. As it started to rain I moved up to the top of the beach to a wall, where I got under a thick overhanging bush and, in the dry, tried to get some sleep.

Only a few minutes had passed when all the little insects came out to attack me, so I zipped up my sleeping bag, put my head in the hood and tucked a t-shirt over my face to stop me from getting bitten. All was good for the first 5 minutes, but then my breath started to heat up the t-shirt and so I had to move it up over my mouth so I could breath. With everything else covered I just had to accept that if I was going to get bitten then it would be my chin that would be attacked.

A few hours later, I was more than happy as I lay there fast asleep. I was dry and warm and the mozzies couldn't get me as I snuggled in tight to the furry wall. In fact, I was snuggled in so tight to the furry wall that I was litterally kissing it. It was then that it began to dawn on me (very slowly as I woke up) that walls aren't usually furry. I'm not talking slightly soft with a covering of moss, I mean smelly, warm fur....with a heartbeat...pressed firmly against my lips

It took another ten seconds before I worked out what was going on, but the minute I did I rolled sideways down the beach about twenty times, before taking in a Jackie-Chan-style forward roll that flipped me on to my feet...and I started racing off down to the water's edge like the world's fastest dad at a school sports day sack race

When I got far enough away I threw the t-shirt off my face (I'd been doing all of the above completely blindfolded) and standing in my sleeping bag in the middle of the beach I watched as the big fat rat (formerly known as my roommate) went off in search of somewhere else to sleep

I walked 10 miles that night before finding another place where I wasn't too scared to close my eyes again

Stu

[JP]

Ha-ha-ha-ha cracker!

[Meles meles]

ha ha, that is a great story.

I cant top it,

But there was one night i slept outdoors. This particular time i slept on top of a split fallen (leant over) tree trunk. Nice cosy corner.
Any way when i woke up, reached down in a sleepy manner looking for my water bottle, All i could feel was hairy. Took me a minute to realise but when i looked under the tree, there slept a lovely looking Fox.

[cherrybee]

Originally Posted by StuartDH

It's a bit of a long one...

Ten years ago I took a last minute hiking trip to the south of france and slept my first night on the beach. I got into my sleeping bag and looked up at the stars, only to see big clouds rolling in. As it started to rain I moved up to the top of the beach to a wall, where I got under a thick overhanging bush and, in the dry, tried to get some sleep.

Only a few minutes had passed when all the little insects came out to attack me, so I zipped up my sleeping bag, put my head in the hood and tucked a t-shirt over my face to stop me from getting bitten. All was good for the first 5 minutes, but then my breath started to heat up the t-shirt and so I had to move it up over my mouth so I could breath. With everything else covered I just had to accept that if I was going to get bitten then it would be my chin that would be attacked.

A few hours later, I was more than happy as I lay there fast asleep. I was dry and warm and the mozzies couldn't get me as I snuggled in tight to the furry wall. In fact, I was snuggled in so tight to the furry wall that I was litterally kissing it. It was then that it began to dawn on me (very slowly as I woke up) that walls aren't usually furry. I'm not talking slightly soft with a covering of moss, I mean smelly, warm fur....with a heartbeat...pressed firmly against my lips

It took another ten seconds before I worked out what was going on, but the minute I did I rolled sideways down the beach about twenty times, before taking in a Jackie-Chan-style forward roll that flipped me on to my feet...and I started racing off down to the water's edge like the world's fastest dad at a school sports day sack race

When I got far enough away I threw the t-shirt off my face (I'd been doing all of the above completely blindfolded) and standing in my sleeping bag in the middle of the beach I watched as the big fat rat (formerly known as my roommate) went off in search of somewhere else to sleep

I walked 10 miles that night before finding another place where I wasn't too scared to close my eyes again

Stu

Oh Stu that made me shiver before I got a fit of the giggles.That was priceless

[paulchandler6]

A different one here! On exercise in the Indian Ocean c500 miles from land. Watch on deck in the middle of the night, no lights, pitch black.
Started to hear a ping sound like small stones hitting the superstructure. Next thing someone shouts ............ wont repeat it. Then became aware of crawly things around us.
Out with the torches and found loads of bugs (no idea what). Didnt hang around, dashed inside and closed the doors. About and hour later we ventured out and all the bugs had gone.
I guess we had passed thru a large swarm of bugs heading for somewhere or just carried by the wind. All we ended up with was a few bites and a lot of embarassment. Love to know what they were though.

Paul