On Feb 16, by early afternoon I decided I might have enough light to get some photos of yard birds, and there were plenty around!  These are the first yard birds I’ve photographed in some time and I’m eagerly looking forward to spring migrants, more light and warmer weather!

First up, this Fox sparrow.  I never have but two in the yard at one time, and usually there is only one.

This winter, and for the past several winters, we have managed to attract Varied thrushes to the yard.  This year they seem to be all males, and 2-3 are all we can count at one time.  The real mystery is that these birds, as thrushes, are generally thought of as being insect and berry eaters.  Yet, unlike their close cousins (American robins) who are also thrushes, these thrushes clearly are attracted to unhulled sunflower seed I scatter in the yard.

We are absolutely overrun with Dark-eyed juncos of the Oregon race!  I estimate that there may be as many as 20 or more in the yard at one time!  For as long as we have lived here (almost seven years) we have had a single Dark-eyed junco of the Slate-colored race in the yard.  This year we might have two… one with the darker head and one with a lighter gray head (apparently signaling last year’s production).  I’ve never seen them in the yard at the same time and have thus far been unable to photograph either.

This past winter we have a Bewick’s wren that has been accessing our inverted suet feeder.  And on this day I watched as the bird ate some unhulled sunflower seed that was scattered on the ground.  Most unusual for a member of the wren family!