Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Planet Bicycle

(Best read with that pausing, sort-of-breathless-with-restrained-excitement-Sir-David-Attenborough-voice in your head.)

This is a rather uncommon sight. More often than not we find bicycle nests at or near ground level. This one, seemingly a tangle of cables and cogs and yet orderly arranged as they bask in the morning sun, is high above looking down on the fast-paced to and fro of the busy world below. As we've seen before with bicycles, we cannot always differentiate the gender, but there does appear to be at least one youngster in this group.

This nesting site is yet another example of how nature can surprise us causing us to ask, "Why there?" Perhaps this is an adaptation in response to some sort of predator. And as we've seen elsewhere within the realm of evolution just as we witness here, adaptation in nature is not perfect. This variation from the norm may require careful study but in the meantime we're comforted to know that the bicycles are safe despite what appears to be a precarious perch. However, anyone finding themselves directly underneath may not share that feeling of safety.

3 comments:

Patrick Sullivan said...

Busch Light disk wheel!

Rachel said...

That looks like fun in the event of a fire.

Dan O said...

Great picture. A "bicycle nest" for sure...