Now we don't want to frighten people, but there's a dangerous new menace stalking the trails after dark.
It's totally silent as it sits in wait on the darkest singletrack tunnels but fills the forest with the most blood curdling screams before you get there. After last night we can reveal this previously cute looking creature has revealed a darker evil side too.
Beware the owl.
Seriously, there we are rolling back up the old tree tunnel trail of Milners Lane after an MBUK lights testing ride and suddenly the whole top half of a fence post detatches and scares the bejesus out of me. It then shows me it's plump feathery backside and swoops noiselessly off down the singletrack before landing on a branch over the trail a hundred metres further away.
Big round eyes are staring straight at me as I pedal up and underneath and just as I'm looking straight up at our feathered sniper it lets a large one fly, just missing my arm as I swerve. Not happy with missing, next thing I know there's a gentle thud on my head as it skims the top of my helmet light and hurtles off hooting down the trail.
Now I've been victim to the old squirrel wee-ing on it's tail and flicking it when angry onslaught and been spooked by herons, red kites, deer and even the reflective devil eyes of sheep before, but a scat attack from an owl?
Be careful out there kids......