A couple of months ago, while walking on one of the unfinished pathways of the newest birding facility in the outskirts of the city's residential area, in front of me ran a roadrunner; crossing the path. In an instant it was in my sight, and then in a blink of an eye, it was gone. At least I thought it was a roadrunner. I was in total surprise. When I got up to the area of the tall, wintry yellowed grasses, I stopped and searched the area. To no avail. Bud was way behind me at the time, so I just waited for him to catch up as I listened and searched. Now, at this spot on the one of many undeveloped tracks that coil throughout the area, we are within a stone throwing distance from the bay water. I just didn't think I saw right...a roadrunner so near water? I always had them pictured in my mind more or less as a desert dweller. Certainly I was seeing things. Well, since then, we have walked more of the back-woods paths several times. On one particular Friday, staying away from the beaches and islands to allow for the Spring Break College Revelers to have their fun time ...we traversed the areas close to home.
We picked another dirt pathway and began walking. This time a path that headed directly to the secluded bay...on the back side. The water level has been really quite low, making muddy shores and no party-goers here, we advanced around to a hidden alcove. On our left, water....ibis, osprey, herons, spoonbills, plovers, and sanderlings --- on our right, high grasses and winter's last barren brush and bushes with mockingbirds, a tennessee warbler[?], cardinals, savannah sparrows galore, a few yellow rumped warblers, and one lone brown thrasher.
As I rounded the last curve along the sticky, muddy, shore, I spotted it on a branch. Tho the sun was behind the bird, and seeing mostly a silhouette, I could tell by its head crown it was a roadrunner!! I hadn't been seeing things months ago afterall. Roadrunners do exist this close to the water's edge! A subtropical desert if you will. But, thing is, this is another first for me...no, not seeing roadrunners...but seeing one perched in a tree!! In the past, I have seen them always crossing the road in front of me when driving along a deserted highway. And they can run fast. Of course, in the car, the camera is no where close enough for photographing. But this time...
...returning to where the car was parked, we had to walk along the paved walkway near newly plowed farmland. There, Bud spotted, in the far corners of the field, a family of four sandhill cranes. Two juveniles and their parents. All day long I was singing "Roadrunner, the coyot-e-ee's after you". By the way, Wiley Coyote and the Roadrunner was a favorite Warner Bros. cartoon!! And no, we didn't see any ACME® products anywhere!!
If you're on the highway and Road Runner goes beep beep.
Just step aside or you might end up in a heap.
Road Runner, Road Runner runs on the road all day.
Even the coyote can't make him change his ways.
Road Runner, the coyote's after you.
Road Runner, if he catches you you're through.
Road Runner, the coyote's after you.
Road Runner, if he catches you you're through.
That coyote is really a crazy clown.
When will he learn he can never mow him down?
Poor little Road Runner never bothers anyone.
Just runnin' down the road's his idea of having fun.
GREATER ROADRUNNER & SANDHILL CRANE
photos taken: Oso Bay Nature Preserve - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat range: Roadrunner - Sandhill Crane
TRIVIA:
The roadrunner has distinctive X-shaped footprint—with two toes pointing forward and two backward...
Roadrunners have evolved a range of adaptations to deal with the extremes of desert living. Like seabirds, they secrete a solution of highly concentrated salt through a gland just in front of each eye, which uses less water than excreting it via their kidneys and urinary tract.
Both sexes are exactly alike in colors and markings.
TRIVIA:
The roadrunner has distinctive X-shaped footprint—with two toes pointing forward and two backward...
Roadrunners have evolved a range of adaptations to deal with the extremes of desert living. Like seabirds, they secrete a solution of highly concentrated salt through a gland just in front of each eye, which uses less water than excreting it via their kidneys and urinary tract.
Both sexes are exactly alike in colors and markings.
Now...share your birding experiences:
What a great sighting, fantastic photos of the roadrunner in the tree.
ReplyDeleteI would LOVE to get a good photo of a Roadrunner! How exciting for you to see him - up in a tree no less!
ReplyDeletei love spying these guys and gals. yes, mostly on the ground, but now and then in trees, too. :)
ReplyDeleteExciting times when something new happens and so much better when the camera is ready,as yours was this time.
ReplyDeleteI love the roadrunner. The cartoons have always been my favorites.
ReplyDeleteHello Anni, the Roadrunners are one of my favorite birds. And I love the Sandhill Cranes, they are awesome birds. Cool sightings and photos. Thank you for hosting, have a happy weekend!
ReplyDeleteDearest Anni;
ReplyDeleteGood Morning from Japan. It is wonderful you have birding facility, isn't it♬♬♬ I wish I had in my city! I love your cute Roadrunner. Oh I DO wish I could see cranes with my own eyes; sometimes they tend to be thought as a national bird. Ours is pheasant.
Sending you Lots of Love and Hugs from Japan, xoxo Miyako*
Wonderful shots! I once saw a flash of a roadrunner years and years ago in the desert. I'd love to see one again. I used to watch those cartoons with my Dad. It was his favorite, that and Tom and Jerry :) Beep! Beep!
ReplyDeleteWe don't have roadrunners here, although we have a few wiley coyotes.
ReplyDeleteWonderful shots of lovely bird.
ReplyDeleteHi Anni, It's pretty cool to see a roadrunner perched in a tree. Have never seen one do that. Good captures!
ReplyDeleteAs you know, most of the migrating sandhill cranes in North America are at this moment congregated here in your native state of Nebraska. And we are loving it.
solch Vögel gibt es hier leider nicht
ReplyDeleteDanke für die schönen Bilder
LG vom katerchen
Oh my goodness, Anni-- your roadrunner story reminded me of the time when, as a volunteer at Rio Grande Nature Center in Albuquerque, I scouted out the route before leading a group of children on a nature walk. To my surprise I found a roadrunner high in a Cottonwood tree. I had heard they do this particularly in search of hummingbird nests. Well, I later took the group out and as we approached the tree from some distance I could see that the roadrunner was still there. I launched into a bit of a speech about the Greater Roadrunner and its habits as we walked toward the tree, but one of the children cried out, "That's not a roadrunner!" She was right-- I raised my binoculars and saw it was a squirrel!
ReplyDeleteI've never seen a roadrunner up close and personal, but The Roadrunner was one of my favorite cartoons. Fancy finding one in a tree. Strange. Loved reading your adventure story.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos, well done!
ReplyDeletebeep, beep! Terrific find. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHere in the UK we have a bird named a Treecreeper and i'm wondering if you should rename the Roadrunner as "Occasional Treeclimber"? Seriously there's some good perserverance and observations in your story Anni and i'd be chuffed to see Roadrunner in a tree or running across my home patch. Nice pics too Anni.
ReplyDeleteForgot to say. Thanks for the chance to spread the word via "I'd Rather B Birdin"
ReplyDeleteBeep beep, so cool Anni. I'd love to see one! That's a beautiful header, the lilac breasted roller is a marvellous bird!
ReplyDeleteTo think that I would ever see
ReplyDeleteA Roadrunner sitting in a tree!
Great shots, Anni!
interesting bird with the crest and long tail. We don´t have anyone like it. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThose things are fast! I usually see them when I'm driving, too. Nice job finding one in a tree.
ReplyDeleteLucky you!!! I've seen a roadrunner once, but he was too fast for me to press the shutter button. Amazing!
ReplyDeletebeep beep. I love these wild and crazy guys. On our first long RV trip, a guy in New Mexico told us that the Spanish name for them is "paisano" which means fellow traveler'.... so we kind of thought of the roadrunner as our mascot when we were full time RVers.
ReplyDeleteA roadrunner sitting in a tree! I always picture them in the desert like in the cartoons. Good captures!
ReplyDeleteOh wow, Anni. I couldn't imagine seeing a roadrunner and one in a tree! Wow. Thanks for the wonderful post and facts about this bird which - until I started to bird-on-blog - I thought was only a cartoon character! Have a great day. Jo
ReplyDelete