On my last visit to the land, I was graced with a sighting of a roadrunner. Mary had mentioned that she’d seen one on a regular basis, but I hadn’t yet spotted one, and wasn’t even sure I would know one if I had! The only roadrunner I could think of was the cartoon bird, which I know is not representative.

But, as I unloaded the car at the campsite, I saw a distinctive bird running along the ground and I immediately knew what it was.

Fun facts that I’ve since learned (mostly from Wikipedia):
– A group of roadrunners is called a “marathon” or a “race”
– They can fly, but can run much faster (over 20mph)
– They eat insects, fruit, seeds AND small reptiles and rodents (hunting larger snakes cooperatively!)
– Some Native American tribes believed the bird provided protection against evil spirits

Species: Geococcyx californianus
Common Name: Greater Roadrunner