These are the marks the sharp talons of an aggressive buzzard left on national cyclocross and MTB champion James Curry's helmet (Photo thanks to Banbridge CC, homepage photo by Toby Watson)
Yesterday we brought you news of a bird of prey swooping down to attack leading young Irish cyclist James Curry.
And now here's the proof of the damage done.
The photo above, which has been shared by Curry's club Banbridge CC, shows how close the rider came to some pretty nasty gashes on his head.
Had he not been wearing his helmet, the damage inflicted by the buzzard would have been to the junior cyclocross and MTB champion's head.
Curry was out training on the roads near Banbridge when the bird, clearly unhappy he was on its patch, swooped down to warn him off.
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The rider said the bird was huge and was definitely capable of causing injury, warning other riders to be careful.
Wildlife experts, who have been watching birds in the area including the one that attacked Curry, said the buzzard's chicks had just hatched and were still in a nest in the area.
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Because of that, it was closely guarding its territory; swooping down on Curry in a bid to warn him away from the nest.
You can read the original story by clicking on this headline:
Top Irish rider attacked by “massive” bird of prey while training on home roads
Curry changing bikes at the National Cyclocross Championships pits on his way to the title in Swords, north Dublin, back in January (Photo: Toby Watson)
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