Mountain Bluebirds - Centennial (Arapahoe)

[Jared Del Rosso]

My dog and I took a walk this morning at Willow Spring Open Space & Holly Park in west Centennial (Arapahoe). I hoped to find one of those Cassin's Kingbirds that everyone's reporting, and these two spots seemed as good as any in the area for them. Nope, at least not today. But a half dozen Mountain Bluebirds were a nice consolation; two were at Holly Park and the others were along the eastern edge of Willow Spring. These were my first fall Mountain Bluebirds in the Centennial area, and also my first of these birds at both locations. At Willow Spring, there were also a half dozen or so White-crowned Sparrows. I had my first Townsend's Solitaire of the season there as well, though Cynthia Madsen and Ben Sampson reported them in Centennial in late-September. A single hummer flew over me at one point, too high and backlit to even hazard an ID.

Back at home, no sign of the Green-tailed Towhee that had taken the place of the Golden-crowned Sparrow. I may spend the next hour or so working outside, in hopes of those Boulder-area Sandhill Cranes cutting a bit farther east on their southward voyage.

- Jared Del Rosso

Centennial, CO

[Jared Del Rosso]

I had some errands to run in east Centennial (Arapahoe) today, so I stopped at Willow Spring & Holly Park on my way over. Six Mountain Bluebirds continue. This morning, all were at Willow Spring Open Space, in the field beyond the reedy marsh along the trail in from the Holly St parking lot. There were also two Orange-crowned Warblers at the open space. White-crowned Sparrows at both locations, a junco & raven at Holly Park. Not much else, but these were brief stops.

There also seemed to be more (Orange?) sulphur butterflies with the Painted Ladies today. Perhaps I'd just missed them on previous outtings, and I've been noticing them around my yard for the past few days, but I noticed several at each stop, including around the strip mall parking lots in east Centennial. 

Finally, yesterday afternoon, I had a brief visit from a scrub jay at my home in west Centennial. Lots of visits from Red-breasted Nuthatches. I've also been hearing, but not spotting, a White-breasted Nuthatch.

- Jared Del Rosso

Centennial, CO