January 1st, 2006. Amherst, MA.
| Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis.
| This afternoon our yard had several more visits from the bright female Dark-eyed Junco
which first visited us on December 26th. In my view, the bird closely resembles the illustrations from the Sibley Guide (large
version) concerning the first-winter female ‘Oregon’ Junco on p.500, and also
the female ‘Slate-colored’ Junco from the Canadian
Rocky Mountains population on p.501.
The Eastern occurrence of Western forms of Dark-eyed Junco has been discussed at some length on Angus Wilson’s website (http://www.oceanwanderers.com/JuncoID),
and is well worth a visit.
Any thoughts/opinions are welcome.
| Update January 3rd - Steve Mlodinow of Washington State has commented on these images as follows;
“I just can't see this bird not being an OR (Oregon) or OR (Oregon) x
PS (Pink-sided) Junco but this looks very much like many birds we see
here, from color of flanks and head to shape of respective color
fields. I can't really see the back in these photos well, but I doubt
that would change my mind much. It doesn't even look like a cismontanus
candidate, in my mind”.
Steve comments on seeing the dorsal view of this junco;
“The back is not as well defined as average, though I believe within
range, especially accounting for the bit of darkness to the pic. Still
believe it is an OR/PS”.
View some of Steve's recent images of Oregon Juncos from Washington State.
| | Images taken using Canon Powershot A-95 through Swarovski HD telescope. |
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