The Dark-eyed Juncos have arrived in central N.C. !
It’s funny because I was just lamenting this morning on the fact that I haven’t seen any yet despite the recent cold front that has moved through.
Then this afternoon, a pair of them showed up on my property tagging along with a flock of Song Sparrows.
In my world, the first Junco sighting means that winter will soon be here.
So happy to see them again 🙂

If you’re unfamiliar with these lovely birds, Dark-eyed Juncos are pretty easy to identify. Males are mostly dark slate gray colored on their back, wings, and head, with a clean white belly. Females will usually have a mix of brown tones blending with the gray.

They are a common sight at backyard feeders across North Carolina in the cooler months. They are easy enough to attract with a good seed mix.
Some of their favorite foods include Black Oil Sunflower Seeds, Hulled Sunflower Seeds, Safflower, Nyjer, Cracked Corn, Peanut Hearts, Millet, Oats, and Milo.

Dark-eyed Juncos will spend their winters here until returning to our northern states in the spring for breeding season. There are even small populations of permanent resident Juncos in the mountains of western N.C!
I say, if you are lucky enough to have Juncos all year round, how do you know that wintertime is coming?!

Photos by @sally_siko
Canon 5Ds