[cobirds] Re: Possible Northern Shrike Hunting - Arapahoe

It's amazing what you can see when you going looking for it. Today, I spent about 15-20 minutes watching a Northern Shrike at Willow Spring Open Space in Centennial (Arapahoe County). I was up on Englewood Dam, around eye-level of the bird, which was perched in a tree about 100 feet (give or take) away. While watching it, the shrike dropped down into the tall grasses on the dam, disappeared from view, and emerged with a small rodent. It flew back to its perch with its prey, before taking it into the line of willows (sandbar willow, I think). The shrike was out of view for about 90 seconds, before re-emerging. Presumably, it cached the rodent, as this doesn't seem long enough to eat it. 

The shrike gave up on its perch when some other trail users, down closer to the tree, walked by. Later, I saw it leaving yet a different perch when a magpie approached it. 

A kestrel was also watching over these same grasses. In addition to rodents, there were flocks of Song Sparrows, American Tree Sparrows, and House Finches. 

Later (around 2:30), during a dog walk at deKoevend Park, I heard a Great Horned Owl calling. Always a surprise to hear this during daylight.

- Jared Del Rosso

Centennial, CO

On Tuesday, December 7, 2021 at 6:05:46 PM UTC-7 Jared Del Rosso wrote:

Today, while watching a mixed flock of sparrows at Marjorie Perry Nature Preserve in Greenwood Village, I noticed a larger bird (larger than sparrows that is) perched high on a distant tree. What I saw, from a distance, was consistent with a Northern Shrike, but not definitive. Before I biked closer, the bird flew off and disappeared. But arriving to near where the bird had been and in the direction to which it flew, I heard noisy rustling in tall, dry grasses. Then, a shriek, sounding like that of a rodent. Then a bit more rustling. Then nothing.

Nothing emerged from the grasses, but I didn't wait long. 

I've never seen a shrike really do something. Usually, it's just a perched bird watching -- or flying off when I walk by on a trail. So I don't know if what I heard is consistent with how a shrike would hunt small mammals. But it might be. According to Birds of the World, shrikes may pursue a mammal into brush or cover and, then, "flick or flash its wings as it moves about in cover in apparent attempt to flush prey." Who knows, though, what I indeed saw and heard, but it has me curious about the shrikes.

Also of note, though not a bird: a Coyote, loafing in tall grasses, off the High Line Canal Trail. The trail is littered with deep red scat, reflecting the fact that the number of fallen, over-ripe apples along the Canal and in yards this year is outstanding. 

- Jared Del Rosso

Centennial, CO

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