Meep – Meep!
There were no Wile E. Coyotes during yesterday afternoon’s bike ride along the Rio Grande River in New Mexico, but there were Road Runners … lots of Road Runners!!! Molly and I are working our way from Big Bend National Park to Tucson which necessitated and overnight stop along the way. Enter my friend, Google Maps … with satellite and bicycle layers activated. My map research determined that the Holiday Inn Express Hotel was located only 200 yards from a bike trail. Thus, after hours in the car we took an eighteen mile bike ride with a significant section along the Rio Grande River.
Here in Las Cruces, New Mexico, much of the Rio Grande is a dry riverbed. There is a very small amount of water which has not been tied up and used for farm irrigation. The end result is the habitat next to the river is perfect for Road Runners. Given the bike path, the birds were somewhat habituated to people. I quickly discovered if I dismounted from my bicycle, the road runners became concerned and ran away. However, I could bike within ten yards, and as long as I continued to straddle my bike, my presence was tolerated.
Moral of the story … do advance research. Google Maps made for an excellent bike and birding excursion rather than sitting in a motel room. While I have seen road runners a few times in my life, I have never had this kind of viewing experience. Uff Dah!
Road Runner!
Video
Richard – I’ve been enjoying your blog since I stumbled upon it while searching for user reviews of the Canon SX70. In reading other reviews, I see that some are experiencing a focusing glitch that prevents one from successfully pre-focusing a shot and then re-framing the image without having the camera re-focus the shot and/or pause when the shutter release button is fully depressed (detail is at https://www.flickr.com/groups/1741755@N24/discuss/72157704489196311/). Would you let us know if you have experienced this issue? Thanks!
Wendy … I read the discussion on Flickr. Thankfully I have not experienced that issue. The only times I have ever experienced the inability to focus is when the camera was presented with darn difficult contract situations … for instance focusing on a Snowy Owl sitting on snow with snow banks behind the bird … white on white in front of white! In addition, if I am trying to take a photograph pointed to much towards the sun, I have had problems, and finally in extremely bright conditions (reflected light off fresh white snow or water … the camera has occasionally been fooled into shortening up the exposure too much … and then did not get enough light).
Thanks very much Richard – I’m glad (but confused) to find that the focusing issue is not present in all of the SX70s. And down here in Houston, TX it is hard to imagine a world with snow or too much sun. We’ve had nothing but cloudy skies and gray-scale birding for months. A happy spring to you.
Hope you stop in Portal, AZ.
Gosh Richard – these birds are beautiful. I’ve only seen them once before, on Nat Geo Wild but even they didn’t do them justice! Lovely, that touch of green, isn’t it? Once again you make me feel I might ad well throw my camera into the local dam!