Sam Fried Sam FriedSam Fried has seen and photographed almost all North American birds. Meet Sam Previous Answers

Bar's midday rides were smooth enough until a quite large bird — Bar thinks it is a red-tailed hawk — decided to nest in a tree adjacent to the trail. After that things got a little dicey. Riding past the nest, one of the parent birds got up a head of steam and nailed poor Bar square on the helmet. (So that's what those nifty pieces of headgear are for; I've always wondered.)

Bar has maintained a commendable attitude. He writes, “I wish no harm to come to the bird. I believe in respect for nature but sure need my excercise. Can the bird and I get along while it is nesting? Could I drop some chicken parts off on the trail for the bird to eat?”

All birds protect their nesting territories when eggs and young are present, and depending on the size and temperament of the species involved, their defense of the nest can even pose a threat to people, as Bar discovered. And there's only one thing to do in response: stay away until the young are off and flying. In a situation like this one, Bar, you could inadvertently end up harming the parents and offspring by continuing to bike there. Beating up on cyclists takes a lot of energy, and the parents need that energy to care for their young. Repeatedly defending their nest could deplete their reserve, and their abilities to feed and care for the young.

Nor is it ever a good idea to give birds or any other creatures a handout, such as the chicken dinner you proposed. Another reader, Lana asked a similar question recently. Apparently Lana has a family of roadrunners close to home, and she wrote to inquire about feeding them. Putting out seed and other food for songbirds is not a problem, but feeding predatory birds such as roadrunners or red-tailed hawks should never be done. Feeding can cause birds to lose their innate fear of people, which is not good for them in the long run; it can also make them dependent on non-natural food sources, undercutting the bird's ability to hunt and survive on its own.