Roadrunner on the Beach

I'm always on the lookout to get shots of my favorites - and the Roadrunner is at the top of my list.  I know they are here at Elephant Butte state Park in New Mexico and have gotten some good shots of Roadrunners in the past right around this spot.

Yesterday I put Katie in her stroller and we did our afternoon 1.2 mile walk up the road and back again.  As we returned to camp, I saw our Roadrunner running across the road and the sand on it's way to the beach and water below.  I got a quick shot.

Then I put away the stroller, put Katie on her leash and we walked up to the top of Dillard's Circle where I had a full view of the hillside down to the lake.  And there was our Roadrunner.  Just standing there with a lizard in his mouth.

I'd gotten a quick, blurred photo of him before, heading back the other way, getting ready to cross the street, and he had a lizard in his mouth then, too.  But it was a bad photo, not blog-worthy, darn!

But yesterday I had all kinds of time to get a good, clear shot of him on the beach with dinner in his mouth.  He was a little distance away, so I had to zoom in quite a bit, but I got him!  And here he is:

Here's the first photo, when he was zooming along on his way to the top of the hill - before he went down to the beach:

And there he was.  Look at those eyes, looking down at his lizard:

And homeward he went.  I wonder if he has babies in a nest.  I thought he would eat the lizard, but he just held it in his beak.  So maybe he's bringing it home to feed other little Roadrunners.

Made my day, for sure!

From me and Katie, have a great Tuesday, everyone!  :)