RULING THE ROOST

Unexpectedly smitten by life on a desert ranch in South Texas, Karine Aigner found herself falling for a regular visitor: a fearless young roadrunner she soon named Sir Walter

- JOE PONTIN

King of the castle

Sir Walter, a male greater roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus), clearly has the run of the South Texas ranch at which photographer Karine Aigner is based. “He is a cool bird,” she says. “He owns the place.” At first glance, it's a modest domain, with low brush, sage, prickly pear cacti and scraggly trees struggling up from the parched earth. “Everything here will poke you, prick you, sting you or bite you,” says Karine. “It's harsh, dusty, hot.” But birds such as Sir Walter are well adapted to this desert environment.

Fearless forager

Walter finds shade and water at one of the cabins on the ranch, while on his way to feed his chicks. Across their range in the southern USA, Mexico and Central America, they quickly learn how to get what they need from their environment.

Hot bath

“Birds get mites (tiny arachnids, related to spiders and ticks) and fleas — huge ones that are like little cockroaches,” says Karine. “So a lot of birds dust-bathe, fluffing up their feathers in order to get sand into them. It’s a way to clean themselves and rid themselves of pests.”

Reflecting badly

One day Karine found Walter on her car. With a lizard in his mouth, he was butting against the windscreen. Walter is quite a character. Sometimes I feel like he was dropped out of the nest on his head.

Broody dad