Kingfisher Hunting, Bushtit Nesting - Arapahoe

[Jared Del Rosso]

Today, during a short run through deKoevend Park in Centennial, I heard a Belted Kingfisher along the Big Dry Creek. I jogged over to find a perched female. As I watched, she sat patiently, before diving and rattling, then emerging with a small (though not insubstantial) silvery fish. (Why rattle when hunting fish?) I watched her beat up the fish a bit -- she'd rattle, thump the fish on the cottonwood branch she perched on, then manipulate the fish. Twelve to fifteen thumps (I didn't count) rendered the fish edible. (Why rattle while perched with food? A territorial thing? Wouldn't the racket attract corvids?) After eating, she shook off, and I went on my way.

On my way out of the park, I heard then saw a Bushtit pair. One had a clump of something in its beak, so I followed them to a spruce along the High Line Canal Trail and found my first Bushtit nest. Looked fairly complete (though they'd know better than me), at least on the outside, and perhaps they were lining the inside. No idea what the white clump was. I've seen Bushtit collect (non-native) clematis seed head from a neighbor's vine before. There's plenty of that in yards, as well as native Western Clematis and other soft plant stuff around. I'm excited to return and watch whatever comes next.

Seeing the kingfisher, I remembered that it was this month ten years ago that I started birding. Back then, looking through my first field guide (Sibley's eastern guide), I thought it was impossible a bird like a kingfisher could exist. Now, we're neighbors.

- Jared Del Rosso

Centennial, CO