Beep...Beep

[caryc]

Here's one of our local birds. I've had people try to tell me that roadrunners don't drink water. Well, this one sure does. The dish he is sitting on is 10" in diameter.

The other pic of him looks a little funny because just as I snapped the shutter he started to shake like a dog shaking off water.

They really look neat when they are running. He stretches that long neck out and his whole body is parallel with the ground. So from that long beak to the tip of his tail I'd guess this guy to be at 22" when stretched out and running.

These guys are territorial, so I see him pretty much ever day. A lot of times he comes by with a small lizard in his beak. They don't fly much. You have to scare them up close to get them to take flight. Then they'll only fly about 20 or thirty feet and hit the ground running.

 

[Jeff Hoover]

How cools that ! ? Be on the lokouit for Wyle E. Coyote :lol: .

 

[caryc]

How cools that ! ? Be on the lokouit for Wyle E. Coyote :lol: .

Actually have plenty of them around too.

 

[oregon73]

Neat bird!

Rob

 

[slowpoke]

Couple years ago I went to Hemet, Ca with my wife for a family reunion. Seeing as it was her side of the family, I managed to sneak away and play a round of golf. Saw two road runners zipping around the course that day. Being from the Seattle area I had never seen one. The locals I was playing with thought nothing of them, but I thought they were pretty cool.

 

[caryc]

Couple years ago I went to Hemet, Ca with my wife for a family reunion. Seeing as it was her side of the family, I managed to sneak away and play a round of golf. Saw two road runners zipping around the course that day. Being from the Seattle area I had never seen one. The locals I was playing with thought nothing of them, but I thought they were pretty cool.

Better road runners than alligators. Don't play golf in Florida. :lol:

They really are neat birds.

 

[Moore-D]

I've never seen a roadrunner in real life before. Is that a full grown adult?
Cool pics,
Moore-D

 

[M'BOGO]

When I grow up I wanna be a road runner....

 

[J Miller]

I used to see them all the time when I went out in the desert in AZ. Nothing like them at all around here. No lizards either.

Joe

 

[caryc]

I've never seen a roadrunner in real life before. Is that a full grown adult?
Cool pics,
Moore-D

Yeah, he's a full grown adult. Like I said when he's stretched out and running he'll go about 22".

What makes you think he's not full grown?

And yes, they are fast. I think they can run just as fast or faster than they can fly.

 

[BearBio]

One year, we were at the Colorado River for Memorial Day (an annual trek while in college). We went by Jellystone Park (a tourist resort near Needles). There were 30-50 roadrunners sitting on the golf course, in the sprinklers. Not a single one was moving. I thought they were fake until one shifted his weight and put a leg down.

I was doing the biology for an Indian Casino near Yosemite and we spotted one. The tribal biologist told me that was the first recorded sighting on the Res. really cool!

Used to chase them through the Mojave. They have a regular hunting path they travel each day.

BTW They are a member of the cuckoo family (the ground cuckoos).

 

[caryc]

One year, we were at the Colorado River for Memorial Day (an annual trek while in college). We went by Jellystone Park (a tourist resort near Needles). There were 30-50 roadrunners sitting on the golf course, in the sprinklers. Not a single one was moving. I thought they were fake until one shifted his weight and put a leg down.

I was doing the biology for an Indian Casino near Yosemite and we spotted one. The tribal biologist told me that was the first recorded sighting on the Res. really cool!

Used to chase them through the Mojave. They have a regular hunting path they travel each day.

BTW They are a member of the cuckoo family (the ground cuckoos).

Yeah, sometimes they're referred to a a desert cuckoo. I'll stick with roadrunner. They're too big to be poppin' outa' any clock.

 

[Scout943]

I had one of those , but mine drank gas!!

 

[caryc]

I had one of those , but mine drank gas!!

It didn't fly too well either, did it? :wink:

 

[rugerguy]

wow, that is neat, they must of ate all the lizards around here, thats why they're not around anymore, moved on out west..... 8)

 

[mike722]

nice pics... don't have any of those around here..but we'll trade a few gators for a few roadrunners...

 

[caryc]

nice pics... don't have any of those around here..but we'll trade a few gators for a few roadrunners...

No thanks, them critters are a bit toothy for my tastes. :wink:

 

[desertrat]

.....What makes you think he's not full grown?.....

I live in the desert southwest and see these all the time and this thing looks small to me too. Not sure why, but, to me, it looks like a juvenile bird.

 

[caryc]

.....What makes you think he's not full grown?.....

I live in the desert southwest and see these all the time and this thing looks small to me too. Not sure why, but, to me, it looks like a juvenile
bird.

I guess it's just the pictures. As I said, that dish is actually 10" O.D. so he's bigger that he looks. He came by again yesterday but I didn't have the camera handy. I'll try to get a better pic of him.

I see roadrunners all the time in the part of the country I live in and to tell you the truth, I can't remember seeing a juvenile one.

I see little quail all the time. But never a little roadrunner. When quail eggs start hatching around here, I have to put a screen inside that dish about an inch or so below the surface. I looked out there one day and saw three baby quail floating in the dish. They were big enough to jump up on the lip and go over but their legs were not long enough to allow them to jump out of the water.

 

[doccash]

Glad to see so much interest in the roadrunner.
I have always enjoyed seeing them and they are a challenge to photograph. I have taken a lot of rrunner pictures and I would love to share this one with the group. Dr.C

 

[caryc]

Great picture doc. The question about my pic being a juvenile bird got me to thinking. Has anybody ever see a road runner with a bunch of chicks following it around like the quail chicks do?

 

[desertrat]

Great picture doc. The question about my pic being a juvenile bird got me to thinking. Has anybody ever see a road runner with a bunch of chicks following it around like the quail chicks do?

Maybe a better way of describing it is that it looks like an underfed adult. Like a roadrunner on the adkins diet.

 

[doccash]

I thought it looked a little on the juvenile side as well. No, I have never seen chicks following mama! Dr.C

 

[caryc]

You guys trying to tell me my bird is a runt? Now you done hurt my feelins'

 

[caryc]

I'll show you guys. I just sent away for one ACME surefire never fail Road Runner Trap.

I'm gonna catch that sucker and fatten him up myself.

 

[doccash]

Cary not being offensive at all and I really know little about them but they are certainly different from "other" birds. Dr.C :?

 

[M'BOGO]

I'll show you guys. I just sent away for one ACME surefire never fail Road Runner Trap.

I'm gonna catch that sucker and fatten him up myself.

I think you'd do much better with the ACME Man Bat suit. From memory, that was about the best bet. Steer clear of the rocket powered roller skates.

 

[caryc]

I'll show you guys. I just sent away for one ACME surefire never fail Road Runner Trap.

I'm gonna catch that sucker and fatten him up myself.

I think you'd do much better with the ACME Man Bat suit. From memory, that was about the best bet. Steer clear of the rocket powered roller skates.

I think the one I liked best was the Acme Rock Suit. Printed on the box was....Have fun...Fool your friends...Be popular...Be a Rock!

 

[M'BOGO]

I recently bought four of the Warner Brother's Loony Tunes Golden Collections, It's beautiful man. Unedited, restored, great interviews and extras. I'll get the rest when I'm done with these.