January 21

The cold has brought the Junco’s out in a frenzy to the feeder. I am fond of these winter birds, for they remind me of a well-dressed diner, who is content to browse on the ground for his fare.

The juncos are a harbinger of winter, normally arriving in late November as they leave their summer breeding sites up in the mountains of New Hampshire and Vermont to settle for the winter in our neck of the woods, among other places.

They frequent the feeder area, usually in larger groups, and are fairly sociable birds, though not quite as gregarious as the chick-a-dees. They tend to hop and scratch more than chick-a-dees will, trying to dislodge seeds below the snow or soil. When startled, the juncos are clear warning signs of an intruder, like a passing falcon or red-tailed hawk. As if in unison the Juncos scatter in all directions, quickly vanishing to the underbrush or forest to escape a threat. I suppose the markings that so nicely camouflage them in the summer are a liability in the snow cover, as the darkened tops are more easily distinguished against the snow.