Snowbirds

The deer regular firearms season is over so I can venture outside without the fear of being shot. Too bad, though, it's a dreary, cloudy day. Temperatures are in the 40s--not too bad since it is supposed to get colder soon. Luckily, I still have my birds at the feeder and around our yard which I can photograph from the house.

Dark-eyed Juncos or snowbirds as many people call them returned from the north about a month ago. Usually, I see one or two first, maybe like scouts, before I see a flock of 10-20 of them feeding on the ground. In higher elevations around here, particularly on Salt Pond Mountain, they stay all year round. In fact, these birds have evolved slightly differently with dark beaks rather than the whitish-pink beaks of the typical Junco.



I took this picture on Friday when it was still sunny. These birds, along with the Carolina Chickadees, eat the berries of this Burning Bush shrub all winter. The shrub is not native here but I don't have the heart to pull it out since the birds use it for cover and eat the berries.



I liked the way this one was looking at me as I was taking his picture.