Desert runner, the sea awaits

A piece written in the Portland Press Herald titled “Beep beep! This roadrunner hitched a ride from Las Vegas to Maine” inspired the creation of this woodblock print. The article explains how a roadrunner traveled as a stowaway in the back of a moving truck traveling from Nevada to Maine. By my calculations, the bird crossed 11 states and covered over 2,800 miles! Long-distance travel is no big deal for migratory birds, but that’s quite a feat for the flight-averse roadrunner.  Amazingly, the roadrunner was in good shape after having no food or water for days. Maine wildlife rehabilitators worked with the Game and Fish Department to file the necessary papers to send the bird back South. Now he’s back chasing lizards with one heck of a story to tell his amigos. – Lyell Castonguay