Do They Know Something We Don't Know?
I was about to announce that spring was here, maybe a week ago. For me, it officially begins when the snow birds leave. I always have a flock of these Slate Colored Juncos that overwinter with my local crowd. They don't go home until the coast is clear. This year they came early, in late October as Sandy moved up the coast while WV was buried under 3 feet of snow. Usually, they are gone some time in March.
As I said, I was about to announce their departure, hence the real beginning of spring, when, what's that? One pair still remains. Huh. That's never happened before. I checked the bird guide. Turns out they are known to stay for the breeding season in the Appalachians. Now I'm watching them closely to see if they set up housekeeping or are just smarter than the others and know that it's not really spring yet.
.
As I said, I was about to announce their departure, hence the real beginning of spring, when, what's that? One pair still remains. Huh. That's never happened before. I checked the bird guide. Turns out they are known to stay for the breeding season in the Appalachians. Now I'm watching them closely to see if they set up housekeeping or are just smarter than the others and know that it's not really spring yet.
.