Nature Study Monday: Dark-eyed Junco

Oh Dark-eyed Junco, I am smitten with you.  You are so much prettier than your name.  The contrast between the deep grey of your back and the whiteness of your belly, the blackness of your eyes, the fluff of your feathers--it is all working quite well, feathery friend.

I have a fellow novice bird watching friend who spotted these flocking close to her home.  I had neither seen not heard of them until I saw one a few days later in our own backyard.

Juncos are mostly ground birds.  The flights they do take are generally short and close to the ground.  Around northeastern parts, they stay all year round.  Those that live in Canada travel south for the winter. Males tend to have more dramatic markings--my guess is that the one pictured is a male.  Once and male and a female junco mate, they build a nest on the ground, sometimes near the base of a large, coniferous tree for shelter.

Please come back for a visit soon and bring some friends, Dark-eyed Junco.  I will feed you, I promise.