Snow Birds
Weekend before last, it was cold enough here for snow in the higher elevations.
This past weekend, I drove up into the mountains. There were still patches of snow on the ground and some piled along roadsides. Curious to see what birds were still around, I found the Dark-eyed Junco plentiful and active around the bird feeding station.
While Americans east of the Rockies do have Dark-eyed Juncos, only West Coast residents have the sub-species with blackish hood and pinkish body, sometimes called Oregon Junco.
Sibley says the Junco "winter in small flocks in patchy wooded areas; forage on open ground, flying into brush or trees when alarmed." From my observation, that is a perfect description. I found a flock foraging on top of snow-covered ground for seed from a fallen feeder.
They let me move in fairly close to photograph them, but, when startled, they would fly into surrounding trees...
only to return within moments to the ground to continue eating scattered seed.
Their well-defined black hood sometimes makes it difficult to see their dark eyes. However, it's that hood which makes the Dark-eyed Junco so distinctive.
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Happy New Year!
California Kathryn
Fallbrook, CA