Juncos!

They're back. Pecking stray thistle seed on the ground underneath the finch feeder. I love these little "snowbirds." I'm glad they don't shun us even though we rarely have fluffy precipitation. I haven't had any juncos for two years, which is as long as I have been not feeding the birds on a regular basis (via artificial feeders, that is. The goldfinches visit to pilfer the seed heads of poppies and coneflowers in the garden, and the hummingbirds feed on just about every blossom in sight). Sometimes I am broke and just plain lazy, and other times it's just too cold to go outside. I don't really feel guilty. People don't fill feeders with overpriced food for the birds. We do it for us. So we can delight in them on a more reliable, predictable basis. Sort of like ... if you look out your window long enough, you'll see someone strolling by on the sidewalk. But if you want to be guaranteed to see a variety of people in droves at a particular time, just advertise that you're having a yard sale that starts at 8 a.m. with the stipulation "no early birds." Your doorbell will start ringing promptly at 6 a.m. Another sure thing: If you want to add a very senior citizen to your life list, be queued up in the lunch line at K&W cafeteria at 10:55 a.m.