Observers: Beth Porter, Jane Hatter
Email: ecmuseum@usamedia.tv
Remote Name: 63.110.187.19
Date: 06/30/2005
Time: 12:08 PM -0400
Sat. June 25, 2005, we observed a road runner with a lizard in its beak at the south entrance patio to the Eastern California Museum in Independence, CA. The bird paced back and forth looking up at the edge of the roof and making several attempts to jump to the roof. It finally suceeded and walked across the roof to the peak on the north side. It then jumped off and headed to the northeast, across the street into a neighbor's yard, all along keeping the lizard tight in his beak. This morning, June 30, we saw the road runner once again at the south entrance door with a lizard in its beak. This time the road runner went around the building and headed out to the northeast across the street and into the same yard. On Saturday the sprinklers were on along the south side of the building which is probably why it went over the top. This morning it went around the south side of the building right next to the building in the garden bed. We have seen a road runner several times around the museum since early spring. We are not sure, but it appears there may be a pair. The tail on the bird this past Saturday was ragged from being drug behind it. The bird's tail this morning was not ragged. If it is a pair we have wondered if there is a nest, but we have not found one. The bird(s) headed the same direction each time. The folks who live across the street have been gone for several weeks, so their yard is nice and quiet. It is possible the birds have made a nest over there.