From today's Times:

"A golden eagle with a 7ft wingspan startled a party of mountain bikers in Carmarthenshire when it swooped down to join them. The bird appeared to be tame and perched on the arm of one of the cyclists on Llanllwni Mountain."

Charliecres wrote: perched on the arm of one of the cyclists

That would hurt, their talons are rather large!

Wonder if one of them had a bit of a "Lord of the Rings" flashback

Ray Young wrote:

Charliecres wrote: perched on the arm of one of the cyclists

That would hurt, their talons are rather large!

That's what I thought. Having seen the damage a Harris Hawk can do to an ungloved hand I wonder whether there's not a bit of artistic licence in the report

Never mind the physical damage, I'd need counselling and a new pair of shorts if one of those chaps landed on my arm without warning.

Speaking of WOW moments. That wins.

That'll probably be the bird that "escaped" from Llanerchyrfa Farm a few years ago. Sort of knew the guy that owned it. Seen it around Abergwesyn in the past, which isn't far away as the eagle flies.

Is it really a golden eagle? Or a "captive" escapee like an eagle owl?

Would be a fantastic thing to see whatever it was!

http://www.express.co.uk/news/nature/46 ... for-bikers

Jesus that would have been bloody terriffying. ' ... swooped down to join them ...' I would have thought it was about to attack.