Rock Wrens - Arapahoe Co.

[Jared Del Rosso]

A half hour ago, I took a break from work to inspect the sparrow flock in my yard. (All Chipping...) As I did, a Rock Wren, my first in Arapahoe County, flew into my yard. It took a few conspicuous perches near me -- wood pile, tree stump, neighbor's bird bath -- not seeming to do much else but a few, halfhearted squats. (And it's still there...on the wood pile, standing around.)

This was an especially happy encounter for me. Just a few days ago, when I visited Willow Spring Open Space (which looks good for migrating Rock Wrens), I was wondering when I'd encounter one in the county. Then I read David Suddjian's post about seeing them in east Arapahoe and felt a twinge of jealousy.

Turns out this bird is peppering west Arapahoe County this fall. According to eBird, David saw his first at St. Mary's Church this fall. Ben Sampson added a Rock Wren in his yard a few days ago. And there's a report, from the start of this month, of four at an open space near Denver Tech Center. 

- Jared Del Rosso

Centennial< CO

[Jared Del Rosso]

I've had the good fortune of watching the Rock Wren on and off this afternoon (9/27), as it's foraged around...not surprisingly...the collection of rocks roughly approximating a rock garden in my backyard. This bird is incredibly tame, fearlessly approaching me as I photographed it. Two or three times it came within an arm's length. I'd hold my breath, hold still, and it would pass by. A few times, it came so close that it wouldn't fit in the camera frame. 

The bird especially likes the rotted log I added to my yard this spring. It came from a neighbor's tree, which fell after a storm. The wren inspected the hollowed core of the log, two or three times emerging with something.

It nabbed, among other things, a pill bug. (I'm asking around on some of the other items of food it collected.)

- Jared Del Rosso

Centennial, CO