This is the best shot I could get; they were being very uncooperative,lol.
I was so glad to see these little Oreos fying around the yard this morning, I knew they were close by as I've been hearing the sightings from not too distant towns.
I love the Fall!
This message was edited Oct 22, 2007 11:39 AM
Still waiting for mine to arrive! Yes they are litlle Oreos! :)
You know what I like MOST about these birds? They'll eat the stuff others won't (the millet especially)... they just peck away until everything's gone.
Just got another pic while trying to walk quietly and slowly through the yard.
Not great but there were alot of things in the way.
They are adorable!
Pelletory, I'm not really pleased to here the Junco's are arriving down south, because they have left here as the cold weather is setting in for winter. I am not looking forward to winter at all. I have to agree with you on the Junco's being uncooperative. I made numerous attempts to photograph them this past summer and only got two pictures worth keeping. This one was feeding along the shore of Kenai Lake when I was fishing and came close enough for a picture.
Hi Gary, I think the reason their being uncooperative (for me at least) is because its still warm here and there are still plenty of natural foods around.
I did try to bait them in close to the house with small seed thrown around; but their not biting,lol.
They will come in later when everything dies off. :-)
The juncos showed up around here about 2 weeks ago which is about a week earlier than usual. They are probably the first ones at the feeder in the morning as I'll see them scurrying around when I go to work while it's still almost dark. And "scurry" seems to be the right word as they look like little mice as they scamper along the ground in the dark.I always know that when they show up in Fall that "Up North" they're getting some colder weather.And it's always kind of a sad feeling to see them go north again in April so I enjoy having them around all winter.So welcome back Snowbirds!!
This message was edited Oct 22, 2007 6:24 PM
They're adorable Pelle, I haven't seen them since Spring.
I guess I will have to wait till December as usual.
I saw my first one of the season last week. I was surprised, I don't remember seeing them until later on in the fall...I wonder if it means winter is coming early :-(
It does seem early sadie; I'll have to look at last years pics to see when the first Junco came.
Not early for me as compared to last year.
October 26 was the first shot I see of them in 2006.
I have noticed junco's at my feeders as well. I just said to my husband the other day...LOOK a new bird is at the feeder. Thanks to pelletory's post it now has a name!!
Hi dpoitras, I should have given their full name which is
Dark-eyed Junco
The ones we have here in the east are the slate color form.
Here's some info on them. :-)
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Dark-eyed_Junco.html
Oh darn. Junco's arrival means snow is around the corner. Love the bird and the snow, hate the cold that comes with them. :)
daiseycat I was excited....snow? UGH! ;) kidding of course, not about the snow but about the disappointment. Yes, mine is the slate color as well. I am so not looking forward to the cold weather and it means the end of my flower garden :( But then SPRING happens!!
Pelle ~ I'll have to look thru my photos from last year and see when my pics the Juncos started. Probably the same as you though, I'm sure they migrate by day length, ect.... I guess I'm just not ready for winter yet :-)
Speaking of snow: I awoke to a white world this morning. Not much, maybe a 1/2 inch. Just enough to turn everything white, and the streets into ice rinks. I haven't seen a Junco in at least two weeks. They have moved south.
Gary
I would LOVE to see Alaska. I don't know if I could live there though. Too many extremes for me. From what I see in pictures it looks picture perfect! The weather here was 73 over the weekend. Snow..just seems too early to be talking about it. Even though I know it isn't. It's almost Christmas already!! Where does the time go?
Just looked out the back window and we have about 20 out there!! So I guess they're here!!!
This message was edited Oct 25, 2007 3:07 PM
Hi all...are these the birds sometimes called "snow birds"?
I've heard some refer to them as that since they think that their arrival signals the time when snow will be coming soon but I haven't heard it widely used.
Anyone else?
Okay here is a paragraph from the Cornell site.
Cool Facts
Juncos are the "snowbirds" of the middle latitudes. In the eastern United States, they appear in all but the most northern states only in the winter, and then retreat each spring. Some juncos in the Appalachian Mountains remain there all year round, breeding at the higher elevations. These residents have shorter wings than the migrants that join them each winter. Longer wings help the migrants fly long distances.
I just have seen the phrase used on the couple of birdwatching forums I read, but I had never heard of it before then.
Hi nanny, I'm glad you brought it up! :-)
I think I saw a Junco this morning, took a pic but it was far away - need to download and enlarge to see for sure!!
Lot of Juncos here.
Very nice adel; its good to see the different forms of Dark-eyed Junco's. :-)
Junco?
Yes Junco :-)
thanks Pelle
I knew you had to have them if I did seeings that your North of me. :-)
I was watching the Oreo Roller Coaster today; very fun!
What took me out to the backyard this morning was a beautiful song, didn't see what was singing it, but it was really pretty. Then I had to go to work, so I couldn't wait any longer.
I just spotted my first Junco! Under my boss feeder eating up a storm! No pics yet, hopefully in the next few days. GM
Good GM!
So chilly this morning both my bird baths were all frozen water!
I had a small group of Juncos about a month ago and then nothing. Must have been some moving on through.
