Maybe you’re training for a real life race — or maybe you’ve run a few already. If you need to change up things a bit, I’ve got a fun challenge for you this week! Bonus points if you can snag photos.
I’ve been running around my neighborhood a lot lately, and this has helped me from being super bored with the scenery — even if the scenery in Spring is pretty!
What animals do you see on the run? Count em!
Last year we were trying to find the colors of the rainbow (see this post here). Thanks to Kim @ kimrunsonthefly for this challenge. She happened to mention that she wasn’t seeing many Robins any more.
My guess is I’m seeing all the Robins because I’m out there much, much later than Kim. Apparently the Robins don’t get many worms because they are not early morning birds (just joking)!
After Kim made that comment, on the next walk with Mr. Judy and Bandit I started to count Robins. I didn’t even think of starting to do it until we’d already been walking a while. We don’t walk very far, either.
That first day I counted 11 Robins and 1 Rabbit.
The next day I ran and I counted 11 Robins, 1 Cardinal, 1 Rabbit and a Murder of Crows
Again I didn’t even think to start looking for them until I was halfway through my run.
The next week I started right away — and counted a record number of Robins: 47!
Next time you’re bored on your run, I’d love to hear how many and which kind of animals you see on the run — I know some of you see some really cool animals! Like I said at the beginning of the post, bonus points for photos. Although I rarely got good bird photos, they always fly away.
What I noticed
Although you often see Robins in pairs, I saw a lot of bachelors too. There were Robin deserts in the neighborhood — I’d see a bunch and then none for quite a while. So far I’m not seeing as many rabbits as in years past, but that may be because I’m not running early yet — and also because I know Rabbits are cyclical (they wind down then they’re everywhere again).
Final Thoughts
I can remember quite a few hot Summer runs in years past when I would count the Rabbits. It was a sign the run wasn’t going well. Better than counting steps though!
What animals do you commonly see on the run?
Are you able to get good bird photos?
Can you identify different types of birds?
Linking up with Zenaida Arroyo and Kim @ Kookyrunner
This week I am also joining up with the new Runners’ Roundup linkup.
Chocolaterunsjudy 
Oh, I love this challenge, Judy!
On my usual route in Cape Town, it would have been dogs, seagulls, hadedas, seals and perhaps, if I’m lucky, dolphins.
Now I’ve just arrived back in Switzerland, so I have a new set of animals. Definitely going to count them!
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What’s a hadeda? Seeing dolphins would be cool?
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It’s a bird in South Africa, about the size of a chicken. Makes a terrible screeching noise! 🙂
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Sounds a little like grackles down south (although they’re about crow size). They’re unfortunately abundant & make a terrible racket!
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My runs were more interesting in Florida.
I rarely see any robins when I run. But i don’t run often in my boring neighborhood. Not many animals on the bike paths most likely because there are so many runners and bikers.
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There was plenty of robins on the bike path! But you have to be looking for them.
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Maybe. Never seen any on the rail trail or Corning or Zim. As you said I don’t look for birds. But last night I did look. Nada.
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Friday’s run for me was at Colonie Park. Plenty of robins.
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I once counted the number of squirrels I saw while out on a run but had to stop counting at 30, lol. I guess it was a bud day for them. I wish I saw bunnies more often because they are so cute.
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Wow! We have squirrels but not THAT many!
Rabbits live in 7 year cycles, supposedly. This year I don’t see many so I think we’re at the end of this 7 year cycle.
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On my bike ride today I saw a coyote in the parking lot where we start. We always see a lot of ducks, geese, egrets, and some other small water birds but I don’t know what they are. We see rabbits and squirrels too.
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Thankfully I’ve never seen a coyote in my neighborhood, but I’ve seen them just a couple of miles away. But rarely.
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Coyotes usually don’t bother people but if you have a small dog it will probably go after it.
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Exactly. We’ve always had small dogs，
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This is a fun idea! I see lots of deer and foxes early in the morning. Later on I see lots of people walking their dogs, and usually some bunnies. I bet Grayson would love doing this with me!
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Let me know if it keeps Grayson entertained!
I’ve only seen a fox in my neighborhood once. They’re cool animals!
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There are some really pretty birds out now and I have seen a bunch of rabbits and baby red fox. Maybe I should count the cicadas next week 🙂
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Fox kits must be so cute! I’ve never seen them.
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On my runs around my neighborhood I don’t usually see many animals. On my long run at the edge of the Everglades I saw some REALLY interesting birds (like some standing up that were as tall as my waist) but I couldn’t even begin to guess what they are. A true bird-watcher would probably know.
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I’m beginning to think I should learn more about birds! I know next to nothing.
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I like this idea too. I usually see squirrels, cows, several types of birds, goats, and dogs. I have seen a coyote. I used to do a lot of bird watching, so can identify several types of birds. I’m not as good as it as I used to be.
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I really don’t know much about birds. I like watching them though!
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My first Bachelor’s degree was in Biology. I always said I didn’t get a job in the field, but it is my hobby. 🙂
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I never actually even took Biology. Just Chemistry & Physics. Science is not my jam! Although I wish I’d taken Biology!
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We had a great Biology teacher, so got to take lots of field trips. That’s always fun in college. Who wants to sit behind a desk all day at that age?
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I need to give this challenge a try! There are lots of birds in my neighborhood and sometimes I’ll see some other wildlife on the trail! Deer still really freak me out though!
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Why do deer freak you out? I like deer. I can say that because we don’t have them in my neighborhood eating up all the plants. 🤣
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I love your idea of counting the animals you encounter on a run. I have run several spring marathons when I counted the birds I HEARD (I didn’t necessarily see them) on the run. One of the best marathons to do that was the Pocono Marathon, which was about 75% through the woods.
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So impressed you can I’d birds just by their song. The only I know I’d mourning doves! Well, geese, of course.
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I don’t see any robins. Or maybe I am just not paying attention? I see more dogs while out on runs.
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You live in a different area than me & a city, so it’s definitely possible you don’t see many. We have a ton!
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