First Roadrunner

Gallery: AvianPosted May 26, 2011121 views10 comments

Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus)
My first close encounter with the Greater Roadrunner late yesterday around 7:30..
The Greater Roadrunner is a signature bird of the desert Southwest. During the 20th century, its range expanded all the way to southern Missouri and western Louisiana. A ground-dwelling cuckoo, it feeds on snakes, scorpions, and any other small animal it can catch and subdue.
The most fictionalized bird in popular imagination, cowboys used to tell tall tales about how Roadrunners would seek out rattlesnakes to pick fights, or would find sleeping rattlers and build fences of cactus joints around them. A later generation of Americans grew up thinking that Roadrunners were purple and cried "beep beep" as they sped about :)

F/8, 1/200th, ISO 640, 1D M3, 300mm f/2.8 + 1.4x ext
Just fit it in, minimum crop. I would've liked a bit of a head turn my way, but I was just happy to finally get a shot of this one..

Comments

10 comments

Comment posted by Charles Gangas on May 26, 2011 at 9:18 AM

Congratulation Howard on finding this elusive character. I have to admit that I'm one of those Americans who grew up watching this guy ruin Wile Coyote's day every Saturday morning.

Nicely captured, and although a bit close it's good you were able to fit him all in.

Registered on August 12, 2009, 544 Posts, 2414 Comments

Comment posted by Ashley Vincent on May 26, 2011 at 11:02 AM

Though I'm not American, I too grew up chortling at the way Roadrunner constantly thwarted Wile's efforts to bring about his demise ...... I also grew up thinking there was only one company that produced anything in the US and it was called Acme - LOL ;^p

Not sure how much available light you had at 7:30 Howard, but I think you did a fantastic job of exposing this little character to show the richness of it's colours :^)

Would have been a little nicer to have more room around it but hey, I'd be proud to have this in my collection as is ;^)

Registered on March 1, 2011, 154 Posts, 2083 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Maile on May 26, 2011 at 11:40 AM

Very cool Howard, great looking bird, nice capture!

Registered on March 2, 2009, 984 Posts, 2518 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Huff on May 26, 2011 at 3:26 PM

Very nice image, Howard. Nice pose and great detail.

Ron Huff

Registered on August 31, 2010, 69 Posts, 440 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on May 26, 2011 at 4:02 PM

Nicely done. Not the setting I'm used to seeing this species in - way too green!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1031 Posts, 12705 Comments

Comment posted by Kurt Bowman on May 26, 2011 at 7:36 PM

I love these guys Howard....they are so much fun too shoot, but unfortunately I only see them when I go to Arizona or NM. Good job on this one.

Registered on June 19, 2008, 1005 Posts, 8028 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Balke on May 26, 2011 at 7:59 PM

Very fine contrast with the background, Howard: we have a really clear view of this bird. I've never observed one. I like that we can see the pupil of the eye: this bird looks wild and ready to run. Nice capture!
P.S.: You mean that they really don't beep??.....another part of my childhood education gone.

Registered on June 18, 2009, 229 Posts, 2915 Comments

Comment posted by David Sparks on May 26, 2011 at 9:11 PM

"just happy to finally get a shot of this one"
This bird is still on "my delighted to see one and I'll take any shot I can get" list. Seems like the shot needs sand, a cactus, and a slight head turn.

Registered on May 26, 2007, 290 Posts, 4270 Comments

Comment posted by Cheryl Molennor on May 26, 2011 at 10:14 PM

Wow Howard I don't have one of these. I really like the oof environment in the bg and the birds pose

Registered on June 30, 2009, 300 Posts, 5051 Comments

Comment posted by Monica Siri on May 29, 2011 at 4:28 AM

Howard,
really a beautiful encounter. Beep beep is very famous in Italy too.

Great capture.

Registered on September 20, 2009, 132 Posts, 3764 Comments