Roadrunner

The Roadrunner is New Mexico's state bird and we have a few that pass through here occasionally. Usually if I see one before I can think about getting the camera it is gone or so far off I can't get a decent photo. A roadrunner was the fartherest thing from my mind the other night when I went to feed the horses. It was the last feeding of the day at 9 pm which meant it was dark and all good little roadrunners should have been in bed. And this one was but in an unusual place.

Lee was trying to get a bale of hay down off the top of the stack, about 7 feet up and was having trouble getting ahold of the string that keeps the bale together. So I turned around to get the hay hook that we have hanging near the hay shed door. Surprise! I found myself being stared at by two shiny, glaring, black roadrunner eyes. Roasting on a 2 x 4 above the door was one of the birds. I stepped back in surprise. And especially at the size of the sharp beak that was pointed at me. You can see him in the photo with his tail up unsure of weather he should stay or leave and knowing that he can't see in the dark he decides to stay put even though there are two humans getting hay for the horses in the shed, as well as a dog with them. You can see the handle of the antique hay hook that I was reaching for next to the hammer and the top of the door in the lower right hand corner.

As quickly and quietly as we could, we got the hay, which did include getting the hay hook and dropping a 50 pound bale of hay onto the floor, and then I decided to get the camera and take his photo hoping that the flash wouldn't destrub him even worse that we had. It didn't seem to bother him at all.

The roadrunner had got into the hay shed because we leave the door open a lot, so we left it open for the night as we figured he would be gone at first light the next morning which would be earlier than when we feed the horses. But surprise again. He was still there at 7 am the next morning. We decided enough was enough. We didn't want such a big bird living in the shed. lee got the broom and shoo-ed him out the door. He ran like a flash down the driveway, under the gate, and disappeared down the road.

I think it might have been a young bird that was confussed. He certainly wasn't as big as some I have seen so it could have been one that had recently left it's parents.