FreeLists / va-richmond-general / [va-richmond-general] Re: Lack of Birds

["Jim Blowers" <jimvb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Today I saw our first juncos - about two or three of them hopping amongst
the white-throated sparrows; the sparrows arrived about a month ago. Both of
these are emberizids. I looked at my Peterson bird book, and that book calls
the birds dark-eyed juncos, slate-colored juncos, northern juncos, and
snowbirds. If "northern junco" is not a proper term, then it became improper
recently, because the Peterson book uses the term. I note that a recent
Sydney (or Sidney?)  that we got does not mention "northern junco", so maybe
that's the case. 

 

Incidently, Sydney mentions that the white-throated sparrow sometimes
crosses with the juncos to make a white-throated junco (my term), which he
says is "rare". 

 

Jim Blowers

 

  _____  

From: va-richmond-general-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:va-richmond-general-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Al Warfield
Sent: Thursday, 2006 November 9 12:57
To: snyderfolks@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; Jim Blowers;
va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [va-richmond-general] Re: Lack of Birds

 

On the other hand, we have had plenty of birds in or near the yard recently.
A few juncos, lots of white-throats, titmice, chickadees, hairy and downy
woodpeckers, w b nuthatches, doves, blue jays, cardinals, carolina wrens,
cedar waxwings, red-shouldered and sharpshin hawks, and crows. It varies
according to time of day and weather, but there are plenty here along
Falling Creek. This early the juncos are around but you may have to go
somewhere like JR Park or Dutch Gap to see them. There were plenty on
Skyline Drive last week.

 

I had a carolina wren visit with me in the shop a couple of weeks ago. It
was there for a few days. I kept seeing evidence, and then one day it flew
out of my wood rack while I was drilling holes in a cedar log to make a
feeder for the auction. I opened the door and went to the back of the shop,
then it flew out the door. Smart bird! I don't know what it was eating,
probably nothing.

 

By the way, those are Dark-eyed Juncos, not Northern Juncos (unless there
has been a recent change in the nomenclature). Slate-colored Juncos are a
subspecies of Dark-eyed Junco, and there are 3 other sub-species that are
much more localized. There are also several different populations of
Slate-colored depending on location - they are all over North America - and
they vary in appearance.

 

Al Warfield

----- Original Message ----- 

From: Nelda <mailto:snyderfolks@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>  Snyder 

To: Jim Blowers <mailto:jimvb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>  ;
va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 

Sent: Thursday, November 09, 2006 12:11 PM

Subject: [va-richmond-general] Re: Lack of Birds

 

Jim,  We've had the same experience.  We had one junco very early but
haven't seen any since.  Our veggie garden near the lake has lots of white
throats but none have come to the house feeders.

 

Nelda

 

 

----- Original Message ----- 

From: Jim Blowers <mailto:jimvb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>  

To: va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sent: 11/8/2006 9:52:48 PM 

Subject: [va-richmond-general] Lack of Birds

 

I have found at times since late August that there have been few birds in
our yard. The birds seem to be picking up some, including cardinals,
titmice, chickadees, a downy woodpecker, a thrasher, and especially some
mourning doves. 

 

I have not seen any northern juncos yet (also called snowbirds and
slate-colored juncos). They usually visit our place from November to
sometime in March or April. Has anyone seen them?

 

Jim Blowers