{"id":5157,"date":"2012-09-02T14:46:20","date_gmt":"2012-09-02T20:46:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ahwilderness.com\/?p=1185"},"modified":"2012-09-02T14:46:20","modified_gmt":"2012-09-02T20:46:20","slug":"spike-the-roadrunner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.edgewiseblog.com\/mjh\/photos\/spike-the-roadrunner\/","title":{"rendered":"Spike, the roadrunner"},"content":{"rendered":"

Of course, we should let wildlife remain wild. Failing to do so puts them and us at risk. However, humans are often captivated by a wild creature that shows curiosity and expresses a unique personality. I\u2019ve been observing roadrunners<\/a> for over 25 years and I\u2019ve never known one like Spike, as I think a few photos will show. Although he isn\u2019t really our pet nor do we want him to be, if you name a creature, feed it, and miss it when it doesn\u2019t show up, someone is a pet. Perhaps we are Spike\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\"DSC09375\"<\/a>Roadrunners often expose their backs to the sun for warmth. The feathers there are particularly thin and sparse. However, I\u2019ve never seen the posture Spike assumes in these two photos. (It was late afternoon and over 90 degrees \u2013 I doubt he was cold.)<\/p>\n

\"DSC09391\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"DSC09247\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Spike showed up one morning when we were feeding a turtle ground beef. He rattled, which may be a call for food or an expression of curiosity. Mer has learned to imitate him and he comes when she calls. As his surrogate mama, Mer showed him how to find worms in the compost and fed him a grasshopper (I missed that photo op). <\/p>\n

When we told a friend at Hawks Aloft that we were feeding Spike ground beef, she said it wasn\u2019t nutritious enough. So, we bought a bag of frozen mice from Hawks Aloft (\u201cchocolate,\u201d ie, brown). Spike figured out what to do immediately \u2013 he swung it by the tail and smashed it on the ground repeatedly. Yum, tender.<\/p>\n

\"Spike,<\/a>Note the delicate eyelashes. Keep in mind these are feathers, not hairs.<\/p>\n

Like the desert itself, the colors of a roadrunner shift in the light from drab to iridescent green and blue, plus blue and orange eyeshadow.\"DSC09245\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Spike,<\/a><\/p>\n

I was a little alarmed when an adult roadrunner showed up and took the burger ball from Spike, but that only happened once. However, Spike had a young friend with him one morning \u2013 we called her Alice (after \u201cSpike and Alice,\u201d derived from a card game called Spite and Malice \u2013 hat tip to the Mullanys).<\/p>\n

See more pictures<\/a> and videos.<\/p>\n

Read an update with new photos<\/a> (10\/02\/12)<\/p>\n