Having returned to our Littleton, Colorado, farm on October 1, I have encountered two winter residents to date. Here along the base of the Front Range, these residents either travel southward from Canada or descend from higher elevations in the mountains, to our west (vertical migration).
The first, appearing on October 2, was a Townsend's solitaire, which nests and summers in the forests of the mountains and upper foothills. Fond of juniper berries, which are abundant on our farm, at least one solitaire has wintered here since we purchased the property, 30 years ago. Our guest will hang around until mid April or so, feeding with robins and cedar waxwings (Bohemian waxwings may also turn up on occasion).
The second winter resident, just noticed this morning, was a dark-eyed junco. Alone today, this "snowbird" will be joined by at least a couple dozen cohorts over the next few weeks, represented by three races (Oregon, slate-gray and gray-headed). From then until early April, they will be the most abundant species on our farm, contested only by house finches and wandering flocks of Canada geese at times.
