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Juncos and Goldfinches!



Happy Anniversary, Carolinabirds!

In between downpours early Friday afternoon, 
a large flock of 300+ Juncos
flew in from the SW (single species flock) 
to feed frantically on
millet and hulled sunflower that I broadcast
around/under log and brush piles and 
other cover.
They were very *flighty* (bad pun) and flushed
easily every 10-15 minutes toward the NE and out of
sight.
Increasingly smaller numbers of the flock returned
after each exodus and by 3 pm they were gone.

Juncos( currently ~20-30) began arriving Oct 24.
They are much less nervous but stay close to brush
piles and feed close to/under cover often with
2-3 male "sentries" perched on the highest points of
the piles.
If alarmed, they fly up into low cedars or  about 5-10
ft and dive into brush
but do not leave the yard.

The flock appeared to all be of the Slate-colored 
subspecies group.
There appeared to be slightly more adult males
whose gray was medium-lighter slate 
with obvious black facial markings around the bill,
lores and eyestripe
vs. those whose head, lores, back and flanks were
uniformly deep slate.

The females and HY (hatch year) birds showed varying
degrees, patterns and shades of brownish wash.

There were at least three with pale double wing bars.
I did not observe additional field marks which might
have made 
each individual anything other than a variant of the
Slate-colored group.
(Disclaimer: they were wet, active, flighty and doing
the double-scratch in leaves and under cover making
study of individuals very difficult.)

There were variations in the amount of white in the
outer tail as well as the outer greater coverts.

The bills were light, either whitish or pinkish, 
with a few individuals having darker horn toward the
tip.
I did not see the medium to dark-grayish horn that
Pyle (1997) describes for the bill of the Southern
subspecies, J.h. carolinensis.

There were more Amer. Goldfinches present early
morning than I have seen over the last 3 yrs'
snow and ice storms
Their numbers increased to a high of 350-400 in early
afternoon.
Those that were not on/under feeders, would feed
anywhere on the ground. 
They deferred to the Juncos and would retreat to 
perch at all levels in trees
around the yard until a Junco exodus.

Other birds at higher than normal numbers
included Pine Warblers (8-10) 
eating homemade suet crumbles on the feeders;
Brown Creepers (3) that returned repeatedly to eat
suet that I spread in vertical strips on bark;
all WP's (including 2 YB Sapsuckers) except RH -not a
normal yard bird; 
House Finches (10); and
Chipping Sparrows (15-20) who fed amongst both the
Juncos and the GF's.

I saw Brown Headed NH's during the ice storm but not
yesterday.
I have yet to see any Purple Finches although they are
usually here by now 
and there were no Pine Siskens (this would be early
for my yard). 

By 4 pm, I observed only four birds:
No. Cardinal, Downy WP, Fox Sparrow and one
Junco (male, lighter gray) all in the same large brush
pile.

Any comments as to whether these Juncos are birds that
have been here but have
joined together to forage given the magnitude of 
last week's ice storm or a flock from
farther away?
Have those of you who live in this area seen similar
size flocks following storms?

Thanks, Will, for your hard work and efforts
for Carolinabirds.

Jill Froning
S. of Chapel Hill/ n. Chatham Co
(Area 30 of the Chapel Hill CBC count circle) 











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