That is cool as heck! I don't think it was a rat...but a very industrious bird of some large type, lol. But I don't see any feathers. It is very neat and taken care of, whatever it is. Very interesting.

Never seen a road runner nest in covered place there tend to be more in the open of dense woody cover, Cactus wren have nested in mufflers, pipe, and riding lawn mower covers. The stoners tend to be filler to close the space in the cavity. The next choice would be a curved billed thrasher, tend to build in cavities and will build roost nest that can have bizarre items. Still the best two guess from all the breeding bird surveys completed in the west region, without the eggs or seeing the birds it still a guess. let me know if you every see the bird.






Nesting Curve billed thrasher

Nest Placement

Nest Shrub

Most nests are constructed 3–5 feet above ground in shrubs, small oaks, acacia, mesquite, cholla, prickly pear, nopalo, mistletoe, and yucca, though some as low as 1 foot and as high as 9 feet have been reported. A few nests have even been discovered inside cavities in large saguaro and sycamore trees.


Nest Description


Both male and female build the bulky nest. Twigs form the foundation of the nest, which is then lined with grass by the female, who shapes the cup with her body. Once she lays her eggs, the female adds flowers or other fresh plants. Sometimes, pairs build multiple nests before selecting one for egg-laying, and they frequently build less elaborate nests for roosting during the nonbreeding season. Nests measure about 9 inches in diameter and 7 inches tall, with the interior cup 4.2 inches in diameter and 3.9 inches deep.

Nesting Facts


Clutch Size: 3-5 eggs
Number of Broods: 1-2 broods
Egg Length: 1.0-1.3 in (2.6-3.3 cm)
Egg Width: 0.7-0.9 in (1.8-2.2 cm)
Incubation Period: 12-15 days
Nestling Period: 11-16 days
Egg Description:
Light bluish-green to pale yellow with reddish-brown speckling

Condition at Hatching:
Nearly naked and helpless with sparse long gray down




Nesting Cactus wren
Nest Placement

Nest Shrub The female initiates nest building, but after she selects the spot, the male jumps in to help out. They build the nest 3–10 feet above the ground in a cholla, palo verde, acacia, mesquite, or other desert vegetation where the nest is surrounded by thorns.

Nest Description

Male and female Cactus Wrens build large football-shaped nests with tunnel-shaped entrances. The pair amasses coarse grass and plant fibers to create a nest about 7 inches in diameter and 12 inches long, which weighs in at 6 ounces. The entrance is around 3.5 inches in diameter—large enough for the parents to squeeze in but small enough to keep most potential predators out. They line the inside of the nest with feathers. The pair builds the nest in 1–6 days, but most of the construction takes place within the first 3 hours of each morning.

Nesting Facts


Clutch Size: 2-7 eggs
Number of Broods: 1-3 broods
Egg Length: 0.8-1.0 in (2-2.6 cm)
Egg Width: 0.6-0.7 in (1.5-1.8 cm)
Incubation Period: 16-17 days
Nestling Period: 17-23 days
Egg Description: Salmon pink to buff with reddish brown spots.
Condition at Hatching: Mostly naked with patches of fluffy white down along spine, wing edges, and head. Eyes closed.




Nesting road runner

Nest Placement

Nest TreeThe pair chooses a nest site 3–10 feet or more off the ground, on a horizontal branch or in the crotch of a sturdy bush, cactus, or small tree. The shaded, well-concealed nest is often located next to a path or streambed that the Greater Roadrunners use when carrying nest-building material and food for nestlings.

Nest Description

Male Greater Roadrunners bring twigs to the female, which she fashions into a compact platform with a nest cup about 4 inches deep. A male that pauses for too long in his stick-gathering may get reminded with a whining call from his partner, prompting him to get back to work. The finished nest can reach over 17 inches in diameter and 8 inches high, lined with leaves, grasses, feathers, smaller sticks, snakeskin, and flakes of cattle and horse manure. The parents may continue to work on the nest during incubation and build up the sides of the nest as the chicks grow. Pairs sometimes reuse a nest from a previous year.

Nesting Facts


Clutch Size: 2-6 eggs
Number of Broods: 1-2 broods
Egg Length: 1.4-1.8 in (3.5-4.6 cm)
Egg Width: 1.1-1.3 in (2.8-3.3 cm)
Incubation Period: 19-20 days
Egg Description: White covered with a chalky yellow film, sometimes stained with brown or gray.
Condition at Hatching: Eyes closed but chick strong and active, with black skin and white down along the feather tracts.

Thats cool

thats pretty cool

Next spring put up a game cam and see what shows up....

Been thinking about this. I've come to the conclusion that it's the often elusive, juniper eating, Horsehair Wren.