daysingarden
A garden diary
Dark-eyed juncos have gone north for the summer
Dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis).
Although I wanted to take photos of the dark-eyed juncos each day until the day they were gone, I didn’t. I fear that the birds are being neglected now that I’m so busy with the vegetable garden and weeding. Maybe next year.
On one seasonably warm day last week, April 23, I think, I realized they were gone. Just packed up and left. Goodbye, dark-eyed juncos. Have a good trip. I will miss you.
I took the photo above on March 23. As I wrote in the post March changes, I think this is a female junco. Her chest, head, and back are a lighter tan color, whereas the males, who have been here all winter, are more of a slate gray color. Birds of New Jersey reports that female juncos often migrate farther south than the males. If this is a female, perhaps she is stopping over on her way back north. So much not known about the birds, even the most common ones.
Other photos of juncos above are from April 2 and April 3. The one at top above may be a female. The other 2 photos are probably males since they are much darker colored.
Now they are gone, but will be back next fall. Of course.
