Road runnners

The road runners have appeared at end of winter and are quite fascinating. It's like having little dinosaurs running around. One of them just ran across my patio. They aren't as fluffy and cute as in the cartoons, but, boy, can they run--up to 18 mph. Coyotes occasionally catch them, but not often.


Now I know why they think birds evolved from dinosaurs. Road runners seem a "Blade Runner" sort of bird. When alarmed they raise a crest on the top of their head that looks similar to a ruffled chain saw blade. Their feathering seems armor-like. They look at you as if to say "Come close to me, if you dare." Soft and cuddly they aren't.


Don't let your dog near a road runner. Your dog will lose in ways I don't want to describe. Don't put laundry out on the line around road runners because they will take your laundry off the line, especially the underwear. No, they won't parade around in your undies, but will use them to line their nests and make them more comfy. There are other, more gross features of road runners that I won't elaborate on. Hey, Blade Runnner sort of birds can be gross.


One behavior, as I mentioned in another post, is that road runners kill rattlesnakes by dancing just inside the snake's strike zone and jumping out of the way when the snake strikes. They do this over and over until the snake is exhausted. Then they grab the snake's head and bash it in.

But they do have a gentler side. If you see a road runner carrying a snake, he is off to give it to his lady love. "Here, sweetie, I brought you a rattlesnake to show you my love."