A few years ago I was competing in a 24-hour ultra-endurance event. Daylight had vanished and the road before me was lit solely by the light mounted to my helmet. Beside me, just three metres to my left, a barn owl tracked the very same beam. It flew with me for minutes and I felt privileged to play a small part in its evening hunt.
This symbiotic encounter underlined something I already knew: the bicycle gives you the best seat in the house for wildlife viewing.
