An amazing escape!

[Susie]

I was driving to work this morning when a thrush darted out in front of me from a hedgerow and I hit it. I have never hit a creature while driving before and I was obviously upset. On arriving at work I went to look at the front of the car for signs of blood and guts but peeking out at me from the grill was a very surprised looking and not even a little bit dead thrush! (not as suprised as I was, I hasten to add ).

Having got the car manual and worked out to open the bonnet I tried to get the bird out but it had hidden away in the furthest, most inaccessable corner of the engine. I was really concerned that it was badly injured and in need of a vet so I fished around for ages trying to get it out but it wouldn't budge. Finally, after a phone call to work ("Sorry, going to be late. Got a thrush in my engine" - you can imagine what they made of that) and another ten minutes wait the thrush shot out and flew up into the nearest tree appearing none the worst for it's adventure.

[tufftie]

Glad it was a happy ending! That must have warmed him up a bit!

[agrumpycow]

Wow, that is quite an escape! I wonder how many lives birds are supposed to have..........coz he's certainly used up a couple of his!

[Mr Mag00]

bless you susie and rofl at the manual required to open bonnet, 'im saying nothing!

[The Black Rabbit]

Reminds me of the story of the Muntjac being hit by a motorist on the way to work not so long ago.
The motorist thought he'd killed whatever it was, or hit a large stone, so drove on for 25 MILES.
When he got out of the car, that distance later, he realised the deer was lodged in the front of his car.
Vets examined it - it was only suffering from cuts and bruises (and a wee bit of stress I guess), and released it back into the wild...
Doug

(click on muntjac to see the photo)

[Stewy]

That is one lucky deer!

One of my mates wrote his car off a few years ago by hitting a deer (not a Muntjac though).

The only thing I have hit is a cat which ran out into the middle of the road and bounced of one of my wheels, I stopped and spoke to a woman who saw it and she said it looked fine and ran off although a little shocked I would of thought.

[Susie]

That's an amazing photo of the muntjac!

[nightshade]

I hate running animals down, I am so glad your Thrush survived.
The car in front of me this morning hit a Stoat/Ferret (pale buff) I stopped to check,it was curled up and still oh dear. I picked it up to move it off the road and it bit my (gloved)finger and bolted I wished the animal bon voyage in old
anglo saxon(it was pouring with rain after all)

[The Black Rabbit]

Not nice running things over, is it.
We had a near miss in Scotland many years ago, NEARLY hitting a Barn Owl (one of ,(allegedly, then), the most northerly pair of barn owls in the world).
We missed it JUST, thankfully.
Doug

[Susie]

I am just glad I went to check the front of the car (it is new and I am still rather proud of it. lol). If I hadn't I wonder if the poor creature might have died in there and I don't think the smell after a few weeks would have been pleasant

Glad to hear your furry critter made it too, Nightshade,


And Mr Magoo, I used to know basic car maintenance but modern cars are just soooo complicated. I haven't got a hope of fixing mine if it goes wrong as it is all run by computer, and so there is no point (or so I thought) in knowing how to open the bonnet. How was I supposed to know I was going to get a stowaway?

[Stewy]

Originally Posted by nightshade

I hate running animals down, I am so glad your Thrush survived.
The car in front of me this morning hit a Stoat/Ferret (pale buff) I stopped to check,it was curled up and still oh dear. I picked it up to move it off the road and it bit my (gloved)finger and bolted I wished the animal bon voyage in old
anglo saxon(it was pouring with rain after all)

Be careful doing that, look what happened to this poor fella.


BBC NEWS | England | Dorset | Man run over twice on rural road

[ChrisJB]

I had a bad year for critter collisions in 2007 (having never hit anything before in 17 years of driving). First, I ran over a Grey Squirrel, then even worse I thought, was when a Stoat ran right under my car (game over for this one too alas).

Regards, Chris

[JeffH]

It's pleasing to hear of the happy ending Susie. Sadly I know only too well what a gut-wrenching experience it is to hit/kill a bird or any other creature with one's car - I hit and killed a bird only the other day - and what could have been a very bad start to your day clearly turned into a classic "...and they all lived happily everafter.." situation.

Jeff

[Kayleigh]

Nice to have a happy ending Susie.

I remember when I hit a pheasant, I looked in the mirror behind me and saw lots of feathers flying about. So reversed to have a look at the bird and it had disappeared. I presume it hadn't be badly injured and ran off into the undergrowth.

[Paul mabbott]

Amazing alround - well done for noticing.
The only thing my wife has ever hit was a pheasant - it was suicidal like many of them seem to be - my only displeasure was that she wouldn't let me take it home. Wouldn't like to get a pheasant in the engine ....

Originally Posted by Susie

I am just glad I went to check the front of the car (it is new and I am still rather proud of it. lol). If I hadn't I wonder if the poor creature might have died in there and I don't think the smell after a few weeks would have been pleasant

Glad to hear your furry critter made it too, Nightshade,


And Mr Magoo, I used to know basic car maintenance but modern cars are just soooo complicated. I haven't got a hope of fixing mine if it goes wrong as it is all run by computer, and so there is no point (or so I thought) in knowing how to open the bonnet. How was I supposed to know I was going to get a stowaway?