I Love Juncos

Downstairs my lovely daughter is with Daddy, recovering (loudly) from a fit regarding her Halloween costume, which offends her in some unknown way. Earlier today she utterly and completely rejected a new sippy cup I handed to her that Daddy had picked out. Later, though, when it was her idea, the cup was a fantastic new addition to our home. We're hoping that by leaving her fairy princess costume lying around that it will be ab-fab by tomorrow. Hehehe. Good times.

So what better time than now to get away from the noisy masses and write about a quiet little bird?

I like birds and we have a feeder in our backyard. I can identify several species and their calls, but I am not a birder, per se. In fact, I'm more of a swamp girl. I like frogs, toads, turtles, snakes, etc.

Anyway, a few years ago I noticed a pretty little bird frequenting our backyard in the spring and fall. My handy dandy Audubon book revealed it was a junco. It is sparrow-sized and appears to be wearing a black hooded cloak with only its white underbelly and yellow beak exposed.

I'm not sure why I find juncos so appealing. Perhaps it's because of their groovy cloak. Maybe it's because their arrival signifies a change in seasons - from the coldness of winter to warm spring and from frenetic summer to calmer fall. Maybe the fact that juncos only stop here when they are migrating in the spring and fall appeals to me because it reminds me that some creatures get to leave town. Maybe it's because they are a tidy bird, feeding on the mess of seeds that have dropped from the feeder. Who knows? Doesn't matter. If I can look out my kitchen window and see juncos and that makes me feel happy in a hectic moment, I'm gonna go with that. Yay juncos!