Early December, 2015, I looked out our back window to find a handful of Slate-coloured, Dark-eyed Juncos enjoying the seeds on one of our goldenrods that had bloomed so well in its first season.
These birds are a favourite at our house. They migrate south from upper Canada to our area, and further south, every year. When they first start migrating through we know that winter is coming and that I should get my bird feed stocked up.

Juncos are a cute little bird. They are often referred to as Snowbirds because they arrive right around the same time as the snow does. There are some locations throughout North Amercia that enjoy these birds year-round, Southwestern Ontario is south of their year-round range in Ontario, at the moment.

The goldenrods had gone to seed quite a while before and some had been blown or washed off during fall storms. There are strong stalks that the Juncos jumped around from plant to plant enjoying the native seeds that we had planted this year.

I captured their antics from inside the house and through glass, so its a good thing the windows were fairly clean!

Juncos vary in colour and there are a few different species in different parts of the country; Gray-Headed, Pink-sided, White-winged and Oregon Dark-eyed Juncos can be found throughout North America.

Juncos are also usually ground feeding birds. Unless it is a platform feeder, I have rarely seen these birds eat from a feeder, which is why it was interesting to see them on our plants feeding. Just another great reason to have native plants in your garden. I hope they come every year and enjoy the seeds from our various goldenrod plants.