My New Obsession

OK, so I am sorry if you are sick of hearing about roadrunners. .but here is another post including them.  Cami and I were out walking last Friday--and saw, not one, but TWO roadrunners in our path at the same time.  I took that to mean that the roadrunner(s) we have been seeing for nearly a year now (off and on) must live at our house somewhere.  Which caused me to wonder more about them--like where they live, how they nest, what they eat, etc.  Mind you, we googled them last winter when we saw the first one a couple times, to find out how to keep them around because they were so cool lookin'.  We found out they eat snakes and mice and that's all I remember.  I googled them again to get some more information--the results were fun to read--and I thought I might share some facts with you.

They can be found in my neck of the woods year round (barely)--we are at the very bottom of Kansas along the northern border of their usual territory. They prefer arid and semi arid conditions-we definitely qualify there!

They can be up to 24 inches long from their beak to the tip of the tail  and weigh between 8-24 oz.

They mostly prefer to walk or run but can fly if scared.  They can run up to 20 mph--not bad!

Plant material makes up about 10% of their diet--the rest is from insects, frogs, rodents, scorpions, snakes, and even other birds--including little birds innocently eating from backyard birdfeeders (gulp). They are fast enough to snatch a hummingbird or dragonfly out of the air.

They are one of the only things that can eat a rattlesnake before the snake eats them (great quality around here!!).  They do this by grabbing the snake's tail and flipping it's head against the ground multiple times until the snake is dead.  Because it generally eats it's food whole, the roadrunner ingests as much of the snake as will go down in one swallow.  The rest of the snake just hangs out of its mouth until there is room in its stomach to swallow a little more. Sometimes it takes two roadrunners to kill a really large snake (I'm so glad that they are equipped with man power enough to kill the big snakes at my house!)

He courts his girl by offering her choice bits of his food while he dances around her.  But get this. .he will TAUNT her, and only after he MATES her, will he actually SHARE the food with her. .can you spell

M-A-N-I-P-U-L-A-T-I-O-N?? And to top it off, he taunts her till she begs!! Glad I'm not a roadrunner--I would certainly starve!!

They gather materials for their nest together (usually small, thorny branches--go figure) but then the female builds the nest (probably so she can strategically place each thorn so he might find one when it is his turn to sit on the nest--usually at night. .in the dark. .HAHA-DON'T MESS WITH WOMEN!!)

She lays around 10 eggs over the course of several days. 

The first to hatch out, usually crowd the later arriving babies out of the nest.  These may be eaten by their parents (there are days that I truly envy this rite of parenthood in their culture!)

The baby birds usually fledge out of the nest after about 18 days. Then hang out for another couple of weeks with their parents before they move out totally.  This whole process usually happens in the spring/summer. So I am sure that I have missed any baby roadrunner opportunities this year. 

I am eager to see if I can locate their nest in our tree row.

Roadrunners can become prey for hawks, house cats, raccoons, skunks, and interestingly, bullsnakes and rat snakes. 

The roadrunners around our house have provided us with lots of entertainment this year.  My desire for more knowledge is now quenched and hopefully you enjoyed a little "lesson" on my NEW obsession!

(Pictures courtesy of internet sources)

The Grass Is Always Greener

I know that I have said it before. .but I think the best thing about gardening is the ever-changing scenery!! I think the flower colors this time of year just pop with color!! I am still seeing monarchs floating through the yard daily.  This guy I caught nipping off the maximillan sunflowers to boost his energy for the trip!

Here's another picture of our roadrunning visitor.  He perched on top of my decorative birdhouse--don't believe that he will be able to come go in for coffee though!

The grasses are now rustling in the wind.  Their feathery seed heads waving gracefully above the foliage.  This particular grass is karly rose.  I haven't been disappointed with her.  This is probably her mature size, and her deep pink/purple seed heads add some seasonal color.

This varigated grass gets about 4-5 feet tall, with seed heads rising above that.  I have transplanted this variety to several locations throughout my landscape.  Too bad I have no idea what to call it!  It adds winter interest as well. 

Here's a spot of maiden grass.  I suspect that next year will be the year to really see how this little one performs.  It seems to have a pink head too.  You also will see some maximillin sunflowers in the foreground.  These little jewels like our environment here and grow like. .well. .weeds :-)  They were taking over in front of my deck, so I transplanted some to my large flower beds.  It will be alright for them to grow wild there (I think).  I transplanted them in late May or early June.  I am just astounded that they actually bloomed!  They make such a big splash of color!

The fun thing about these sunflowers is that they bloom up the entire stalk before they are done for the season.  I knew that I wouldn't be disappointed in the contrast between this flower and the little blue spruce behind it.

The mums are taking off.  The burgundy ones are a little slow this year it seems.  But the burnt orange, purple, and yellow ones are right on time.  These get my attention daily as I look out my kitchen window across the pond.

The grass only looks greener on the other side. .until you actually get over there!! I promise that if you wandered through my gardens you would find plenty of weeds, dead plants, and other problem spots. .the benefits of having my own blog is that I can edit. .and show you what I want you to see (and provide myself with memories of the good stuff--and not the eyesores)  Look around your neighborhood.  See how bright the colors are, watch how the animals (and humans) scurry around preparing for winter, enjoy the last of the flying beauties before they soon become a memory until next year. 'Tis the season to be thankful!

Pond Unveiled

Well, nearly 3 weeks after the ground was broken--the pond is UP AND RUNNING!  It's not perfect yet, and undoubtedly will still take some thinking and changing to come in the next few months.  I'll take you on a little tour of how things look right now.  Above you'll see the little lily pads.  I went ahead and ordered a few plants to get started with.  The things that I read advised to get oxygenating plants in the bottom of the pond ASAP to start the ecological goodness.  They are not really considered "oxygenators," but I wanted some anyway--since I was ordering and all!  They were the priciest purchase. The submerged plants were only about $2 apiece. These lily pads will go to the deepest area of the pond in a few weeks when the temps drop.

Ta. .Da--here is the morning view right out of my front door.  You'll see what's left of my fall display on the right--the sparrows found it quickly and ravished it!!  The stream bed/waterfall is coming into the picture from the left.

This evening view shows the maturing shrub and flower bed to the south of the pond.  I think I can make this all look pretty seamless in a couple of years!  The skimmer/pump is directly across the picture--it is barely noticeable with the camoflauge from the rock

Here is a close up of the stream bed.  The water flows through it VERY quickly and makes beautiful music! I LOVE the way it bounces around the rocks and out into the pond.  You can see the sheet of water coming out of the falls, and then again a small one coming off the flagstone rock. The filter fall itself needs a little more camo work--I have been trying to think that out.  You might also notice the liatris on the left of the photo that Cami and I planted last week. The green spot of plant directly across the center of the photo behind the creek is an area that will be boggy conditions for water loving plants. There is also an area a little bit larger surrounded by limestone that will also be boggy. I transplanted a creeping jenny that I bought at half price in June, not realizing that they are water lovers.  Not sure how I managed to keep them both alive, but they are! And I'm sure that this one will be happier here.  The other one will remain where it is until spring and then will probably be transplanted as well.

A view looking toward the north

I love the reflections in the water.

Look who else showed up to investigate??  Do you see him.  The roadrunner made his appearance on Salsa day--not sure if he came to see the pond or taste the salsa.  But whatever the reason, we enjoyed watching him for a few minutes.  He was actually talking a bit (I've never heard their voices till now). The other resident birds have been sipping from the sides as well--I'm sure they are the first of many creatures to come!

We are also the owners of some free fish.  Our friend threw a bunch of goldfish into his farm tank after his daughter's wedding 2 1/2 years ago.  They eat whatever falls in from the cattle, and have multiplied rapidly.  They took a sane (a mesh contraption on two poles) and swiped it down through the water, catching about 19 smallish goldfish which we released into our pond.  There are about 3 that are around 6 inches long.  Several of them are changing colors and have some white spots on them.  We will feed them for a few weeks until the water is cold enough that they go into a winter "sleep."  So far we have all enjoyed watching the little guys check out their new home!  The first morning I looked out to see the whole school of them on the south side of the pond.  On the edge of the pond were about 10 sparrows lined up in a row and both species seemed to be really checking each other out.  I had to laugh out loud, it looked so comical. 

The pond has been daily pleasure for everyone around here!! We can't wait to see how it changes through the seasons.  It has been nice to listen to the water fall again.  I hope to video the pond soon with the water sounds so you can all enjoy it for a minute.  Have a great week!!