Meet Roadie 2.0! This greater roadrunner started showing up in August, and I was thrilled.
Back in 2022-23, my front yard was a hangout for a bird the neighbors called Roadie. In addition to enjoying the grubs, lizards, and other delicacies, Roadie was a ham.
It got to the point where I’d be following him around the yard, and I’d say, “Closeup?” He would stop and pose.
Then, in early 2023, I came home to find Roadie in my front yard with a smaller bird. As soon as she spotted me, she sprinted across the street with Roadie in hot pursuit.
Roadie later returned to my front yard, and he parked there. A few hours later, his special someone returned.
After that day, I seldom saw Roadie. I presumed that, since he became a husband and father, he didn’t have much need to visit my yard.
Nowadays, I see more roadrunners in the neighborhood. I can’t help thinking that my current visitor is a Roadie descendant. So, I’m calling him Roadie 2.0.
Although roadrunners can fly, they seldom do.
But they do have something in common with this white-winged dove. When it’s time to seek that special someone, a good vantage point is important. That’s why this utility line is such a popular place for avian guys.
In my opinion, the best way to attract wildlife is to offer a natural habitat.
At my place, I had to create it from scratch. When I moved in, there was no landscaping.
The front yard was a bare expanse of crushed rock and the backyard was infested with Bermuda grass, an invasive species.
Twenty-plus years later, I’m enjoying a landscape that integrates nature with the built environment. Passive water harvesting keeps it going, even during tough summers like this one.
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Since we just haven’t been getting rain, I decided to let my two raised garden beds lay fallow until fall. Here’s the big bed with attached rain gauge...
I use my cistern water for the garden beds. But, due to the lack of rainfall, I'm carefully rationing that water.
Have I given up on growing things? No!
My front yard ironwood trees have been dropping pods all over the driveway. I’m letting the birds enjoy most of them, but I did save a few for Martha’s Tiny Tree Farm...
The Tiny Tree Farm doesn’t need much water, and it got me thinking.
Why not plant a cover crop in those raised beds? A crop that could fix nitrogen and enrich the soil in time for my fall/winter garden?
Meet my newest crop of tepary bean vines. These nitrogen fixers are drought tolerant, don’t need much water, and they’re rich in nutrients. I’m looking forward to making bean dip.
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I'm an author, photographer, podcaster, and avid water harvester in Tucson, Arizona.
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