Found out who was cleaning up around the apiary

[tbonekel]

Not only does he clean up the dead bees, he catches a few in mid flight! Beep! Beep!

[litefoot]

"Beep! Beep!"  Good pic....he's not picking them off the landing board is he?

[blueblood]

Wow, that is cool.  Did you just happen to be in the yard?

[Perry]

Awesome pics! 
There's not anything that looks like that up here!
Everything's gotta eat, even if it's dead bees.

[tbonekel]

He pretty much makes a daily trek through my back yard. I just happen to be out there when he appeared. He went straight to one hive. He did pick off one at the entrance, but I think it was a dead one. There were only a few that he picked out of the air. As long as he doesn't decide he likes fresh bee meat instead of aged. Pretty neat though!

[rcannon]

Is that a road runner?

[Jen]

Ooooh I love it! Our Stellar Jay's keep the dead bee's up. It's fun to watch the eco system in my yard

[Woody Roberts]

We have one around here on occasion. I'm an avid coyote hunter and once after a dry spell I saw a road runner in the driveway.

I put it together, road runner, no coyotes, Acme boxes everywhere!  :'(

[tbonekel]

Is that a road runner?

Yep, that's a road runner. He is actually a pretty big bird. Not much smaller than a chicken. A really slender chicken. 

[lazy shooter]

That's a female road runner.  The males have really beautiful coloring on their heads and top knots.  My ranch is inundated with grass hoppers so the road  runners, wild turkey and other insect eaters don't bother my bees.  We have a good number of both.  I have read of wild turkeys picking bees off the landing boards.  I've  never seen on near my hives.

[Woody Roberts]

Many times I've watched turkeys file past my hives and I've never seen one bother a bee. I often watch the chickens eating the chopped corn while it's covered in bees. Once I saw a hen pick a bee up and toss it. The bee hit the ground, walked around a little and flew off.

[barry42001]

unfortunately down here in Florida our clean up squad are fire ants. already their numbers are building to substantial size. but that's for another thread lol

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[tbonekel]

That's a female road runner.  The males have really beautiful coloring on their heads and top knots. 

Good call! That makes sense. Actually, I'm not sure I have ever seen a male rr.

[rcannon]

That's the first road runner I've ever seen.

[JPthebeeman]

I saw one in Parker, Arizona catching birds for supper!

They're not at all like they're portrayed in the cartoons, this is one serious predator!


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