• A man, on his way to work, driving through a wooded area on Fulford Road, spotted a male cyclist, well ahead of his family, on the opposite side of the road. The driver saw something out his peripheral vision coming through the trees. A deer jumped out of the woods and knocked the cyclist off his bike. He was hit so hard that he landed in front of the car and the alert driver immediately slammed on the brakes. Traffic was stopped in both directions. Amazingly, the cyclist did not seem to be badly injured. He picked up his bike and went back to the path while onlookers stared in astonishment – including his family. The deer did not even slow down or even look back. Is that considered a “hit and run”?

• A woman was visiting a neighbour when a bird hit the patio door and appeared to be hurt. A pair of heavy gloves were donned and the visitor gently picked up the young nuthatch. The bird hopped onto her arm and sat there for several minutes. There was time to take photos with an iPad before the bird regained its strength, gave a look of appreciation, and flew away. The next day, a bird was trapped in this same visitor’s screened-in back porch. The woman picked up the empty flowerpot on which the beautiful tufted titmouse had landed and put it and the bird outside. The bird just stayed on the pot while its saviour stood beside him and after a few minutes he flew away. This prompted the woman to text her neighbour and ask: “Am I the bird whisperer?”

• A young woman was driving home one warm evening, after having a BBQ with a small group of friends, when she heard a strange meowing sound coming from the backseat. She immediately stopped the car and, lo and behold, there was Boots, the cat from the house she had just left. Apparently, Boots makes a habit of jumping into cars if a window has been left open. You’d better make sure, if you leave your car windows ajar, to check for strange beings before you leave the vicinity.