Beep beep!

Thanks to reader Christine Meek for sending in this photo, taken by her son Parker. This road runner has been spotted on Hood Drive in north Claremont several times dating back to the summer.

Christine asked me if there are other road runners running around town, what they eat and where they nest. I'm no bird expert, but I can copy and paste from Wikipedia. Here's what I found:

The breeding habitat is desert and shrubby country in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It can be seen in the US states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, Louisiana, and rarely in Arkansas and Missouri.

The Greater Roadrunner nests on a platform of sticks low in a cactus or a bush and lays 3-6 eggs which hatch in 20 days. The chicks fledge in another 18 days. Pairs may occasionally rear a second brood. This bird walks rapidly about, running down prey or occasionally jumping up to catch insects or birds.

It mainly feeds on insects, small reptiles, rodents, tarantulas, scorpions and small birds, as well as fruit and seeds. Although capable of flight, it spends most of its time on the ground, and can run at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour (32 km/h).