Harris's Sparrow - Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens (Arapahoe)

[Jared Del Rosso]

This afternoon  (12/3), I took a brief walk with my dog through Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens (Arapahoe). This was our third one at the cemetery this week. Each time, we hugged the hedgerow along the cemetery's western edge hoping to relocate the Harris's Sparrow that Cynthia Madsen, Dave Hill, and I found on Sunday. The previous two walks yielded nothing, leading me to think the bird had gone. But this afternoon, some halfhearted pishing brought out a chickadee, then some House Finches, then juncos, then the Harris's Sparrow. I got some bad, but definitive, views of the bird. I figured if halfhearted pishing got me bad views, a wholehearted effort would get me a photo. Instead, every bird fled. I refound them all but the Harris's, which seems to have a fondness for sticking deep in the hedges or perhaps even on the other side of them, as both of my encounters with it have been brief. 

- Jared Del Rosso

Centennial, CO

[Jared Del Rosso]

Correction -- today's walk with my dog and the Harris's Sparrow was indeed today, December 8. Cynthia, Dave, and I first found the bird on Sunday, December 3. I mixed up dates in the post.

Apologies for the confusion! 

- Jared Del Rosso

Centennial, CO

[Rebecca L Laroche]

Hello Jared-

There seem to be quite a few Harris' sparrows in the Denver area these days. I saw the one posted in eBird by James McCall at Ralston Creek (JeffCo) earlier this week, and today John Breitsch's DFO trip had one that crossed the Denver-Adams line as we watched. Are there more this year, or is it just me being woke? :)

Rebecca Laroche

Denver, CO

[Rebecca L Laroche]

NB: John B's trip was at First Creek. 

RL

Denver