An Ode to Juncos: BirdSpotter Information Entry Winner

| Darkish-eyed Junco by Gary Mueller |
For the third season in a row, Cornell Lab and our sponsor Wild Birds Limitless are rewarding registered FeederWatchers with BirdSpotter prizes. After getting into chicken counts (aka knowledge) into the FeederWatch web site, contributors have the chance to share a narrative, reminiscence, or tip. Our fourth and ultimate Information Entry contest immediate was:
What’s your favourite chicken to see at your feeders? Do you wait all season for a glimpse of it, or does it come each day? Share with us what makes that species so particular to see at your feeders!
Congratulations to our randomly chosen winner, Vanni Prichard of Missouri! Vanni wrote this descriptive piece about Darkish-eyed Juncos:
The Darkish-eyed Junco is the chicken that I delight most in seeing at our feeder stations. Its arrival within the fall indicators a brand new season of winter bird-watching enjoyment. Whatever the dimension of the flock, every little junco with its brief pink invoice, slate grey physique & white stomach, appears to thoughts its personal enterprise because it goes about foraging the bottom for bugs and stray seeds or sitting in a flat feeder making the most of an simply accessible unfold.
On the first trace of a predator, off all of them fly with a flash of white outer tail feathers as their grey our bodies disappear into the protection of close by bushes. When hazard abates, right here comes one, then one other and one other till the flock gathers as soon as once more to renew feasting. When snow arrives and it’s significantly chilly, the juncos could be discovered perched on a limb or in a bush, all hyped up in a cute ball of grey and white feathers, their pink invoice a distinction to their grey heads.
The Darkish-eyed Juncos are a pleasure to observe every winter, so when spring knocks on the door and the juncos start their departure north, a tinge of unhappiness hits. The unhappiness is fleeting, although, for it’s tempered by the truth that they’ll return once more sometime. Within the meantime, spring’s arrival is an indicator that different migratory birds with their very own pleasant traits shall be on their manner quickly.
Because of everybody who participated and shared their tales this season! Vote for the Grand Prize winner in our BirdSpotter Photograph contest taking place now! Go to our BirdSpotter Homepage for extra data and to vote!

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