N. Shrike, N. Harrier - Willow Spring Open Space (Arapahoe)

[Jared Del Rosso]

I spent the morning watching a Northern Shrike at Willow Spring Open Space in Centennial. The effort culminated, after about two hours of watching, with getting to see it successfully hunt one small rodent, from a low perch, in a grassy weedy field. The shrike's effort was pure patience and skill, with the shrike waiting several minutes on its perch, inspecting the grassy field around it, waiting out a Red-tailed Hawk pair that floated low circles near it, then dropping straight down to fetch the rodent. The shrike then flew its catch into the willows surrounding the marsh at Willow Spring Open Space, disappearing.

Along the way, I watched the shrike preen, brief interludes as it continually scanned the marsh and surrounding fields for food. 

I watched it, too, surrender its perch to a kestrel. I think the shrike called as it flew off. The kestrel, meanwhile, didn't stay long. It flew directly over me, hovered over the field behind me, then went hunting elsewhere. 

During my time watching the shrike, it frequently disappeared from its conspicuous perches into grasses and willows. But I could not, with that one exception of the rodent catch, see what it did with those efforts. It preferred to stay low, particularly in the willows, after hunting.

Also at the open space was an adult male Northern Harrier, somewhat uncommon for the portion of Centennial that I bird regularly. It made a few passes over the marsh and, at one point, appeared to be eating something it had caught. My observations were distant and obscured by cattails, though. 

Also of note: a half dozen or more American Tree Sparrows; a low, drifting, croaking-as-it-went Common Raven; and an American Crow, harassing in flight, one of the members of the Red-tailed Hawk pair. That pair put on a show, too, flying together, hovering in the warm winds, and making passes at prey in the grasses.

 - Jared Del Rosso
Centennial, CO