Now that the intense Colorado sun has cleared the recent heavy snow from our "lawns," dark-eyed juncos have emerged from their storm shelters to scour the farm for "weed seeds." Fortunately, we always have a large and varied crop.
Represented by three races (gray-headed, slate-gray and Oregon) the juncos feed primarily on the ground, climbing onto residual snow banks to snare seeds from thickets and shrubs. As they enjoy the bounty in the warm sunshine, they have little to fear but the occasional kestrel or Cooper's hawk.
Unaware (or perhaps not) of another approaching storm, they still have a few hours to fill their bellies. We expect snow by evening which is forecast to continue for 24 hours. Easily the most abundant winter songbirds on our property, the hardy juncos hail from Canada or from the nearby mountains and are thus unfazed by recurrent snowstorms.
