I saw the first dark-eyed junco of the winter season on Saturday morning! Two or three of them were flitting around the tangled edge of the woods, possibly with a white-throated sparrow or two as well, though I didn't get close enough to confirm that. The timing of the arrival of the juncos is pretty normal. Sometimes I've seen them as far as a week earlier, occasionally as late as a week later, but Saturday's sightings were right at the expected time. They haven't found my feeders yet, but they will. I don't have them here by the dozens yet either. That will take another few weeks.
For those of you who know birds, you know that the little bird that blends in with the color of the yellow leaves in the photo on the left is not a junco. It's a Carolina wren that was busily scolding something from its perch in a tree 12-15 feet away from me. And no, I don't think it was scolding me.
The fall color here at Roundtop is at its peak right now. The next gust of wind or a few drops of rain will bring all the leaves down pretty quickly. The weather has also been a bit hazy the past few days, which doesn't promote exceptional photography, but at least the colors are much prettier than last year, when they were the worst I'd ever seen them.
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5 comments:
I haven't seen any juncos around Kansas City yet, but they're coming, and they'll stick around all winter. Nice birds and fun to watch at the feeder.
I know we get juncos around here, but I have never seen them at my feeder. I still have robins feeding on ripe berries before heading south, and I saw my first blue jay this year. I've heard blue jays screaming in the area, but had never actually been able to see it. Then a couple days ago, I saw it flying around outside my window and land on the top of a tree nearby.
I would have totally missed the Carolina had you not mentioned it - guess I don't look closely enough!
No juncos at my feeders yet (or anyone else), but I've seen them around.
I saw my first white throated sparrow this morning (Monday, Oct 23) here in Cape May County, NJ. The ruby crowned kinglets and yellow rumped warblers are still feeding on the autumn olive berries.
I was at my sister's place (in a town just a few miles away) on Sunday and found white-crowned sparrows at her feeders. I've never had them at mine, and I still haven't seen the white-throated sparrows yet this season.
Carolyn H.
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