Dark-Eyed Slate-colored Junco

 

Meet my Juncos from the Northeast U.S.!  These energetic ground feeding birds are with me year round.  They are most comfortable on the ground; juncos even prefer to nest on the ground, although they won’t turn down any opportunity.  A star decoration at my front door area makes a fine home for my juncos, even though it is roughly 7 feet off the ground. Juncos have a cool defense mechanism should a predator venture too close.  They flash their tails, which have bright white edges on either side, as they take flight.  It is enough to momentarily confuse the interloper so the junco can fly away safely.

Juncos devour black oil sunflower seeds when I toss them on the ground.  They mingle easily with the goldfinches, who sport darker plumage this time of year.  Notice that juncos (6”) are a little larger than the finches (4.5”).

 

You can plainly see the brown on this female’s back, which distinguishes her from the male, whose coloration is a darker gray without the brown.  Both she and he have very white bellies, helping them to blend in with the snowy background.  Birds fluff up their feathers as a way to fend off the cold.  This action creates air pockets that efficiently act as a thermal barrier, keeping their body heat in and the cold air out.

Listen for a distinctive ‘smack, smack’ interspersed with little twittering sounds, as they socialize with one another.  I love their songs, which remind me of lyrical sparrows, with lovely musical notes.

My juncos perch in smaller trees and shrubs, under bushes, and in open areas of grass.  They love insects as well as seeds, and seem to be especially fond of small juicy caterpillars.  Their beaks are strong enough to crack the seeds they love, as well as manage almost any insect that comes along.

This male junco likes to patrol my garden for insects.  Because it is a fenced area, he often uses the posts to survey the territory.  There is no need for pesticides because my friendly and beneficial birds are always on the case.  I rely on them to keep my gardens pest free, which also keeps them well fed—it’s a win-win!

Learn more about:

The Juncos I Have Come to Know

Best Ground Feeder for Juncos

Grandma Pearl

A Walk in the Woods in New York State in Early Spring

Robin's nest in pine tree
Photo by Grandma Pearl

The sun is shining brightly and the temperature has finally climbed above the freezing mark!  So this morning I have decided to take a walk in the woods.  In a pine tree along the way I spotted a bird's nest.  This was constructed of mud and grass, about 5 1/2" to 6" deep and about 6 feet off the ground.  I wasn't able to see inside, but here are a couple of pictures I snapped.  By the way, it belonged to a robin that was perched nearby!

Robin's nest from another angle--couldn't quite see inside the nest.
Photo by Grandma Pearl

Robin perched in a nearby tree watching me!
Photo by Grandma Pearl

Further along I spied a deer peeking at me through two oak trees.  It's a young one: I suspect about 2 years old maybe.  It has lost it's winter coat, so that's a good sign that spring is really finally here.

Young deer peeking through 2 oak trees.
Photo by Grandma Pearl

The leaves are crunchy because we have yet to see much rainfall.  It's great to see there's no more snow, though!  

Squirrel nest high in oak tree.
Photo by Grandma Pearl

Junco foraging in leaf litter for bugs.
Photo by Grandma Pearl

There's a male junco foraging in the leaf litter for bugs.  I've seen them grab a leaf with one foot and then hop up and backwards, taking the leaf with them and causing it to turn over.  They are crafty insect hunters!

There goes a squirrel--

Too fast for me to catch with the camera, but I can see an old squirrel nest up high in a tree.  It has autumn leaves in it, so I suspect it was used at that time.

Junco checking out the dead grass for insects and their eggs.
Photo by Grandma Pearl

And there's another junco in a grassy area.  They like to look for juicy caterpillars to feed to their young.  I think it's a little too early in the season for that to be the case here, though.

I found an interesting rock that doesn't look like anything else around here.  I wonder where it came from?  It's yellow and has a chalky look and feel.

          

Yellow, chalky rock; the gray rocks below are more typical of this area.
Photo by Grandma Pearl

                                                                    

Sunlit forest floor; some old leaves are still hanging on from last year; there's an evergreen forest in the distance.
Photo by Grandma Pearl

On the way back to the house now, and the birds are very active at the feeders.   Chickadees, woodpeckers and nuthatches are happily zooming back and forth.  There's a nuthatch on the ground under the feeder.  I don't believe I've ever seen them do that before.  They're usually on trees and the feeder hanging upside down!

   
Nuthatch foraging on the ground.
Photo by Grandma Pearl

Grandma Pearl

Little Devil Downbirds