This Dark-eyed Junco can be seen chowing down on a seed while nearly 200 more of its friends were doing the same nearby. I cannot recall a time where I have seen a greater sustained abundance, perhaps for the last three or four weeks, of a few common sparrow species spread across the region. There have been huge flocks of Song Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos, and White-throated Sparrows seemingly everywhere in appropriate habitat. Have you noticed the same? Maybe they had a very productive nesting year and perhaps they are also irrupting due to a lack of food in the north. Thankfully there is no need for guesswork on comparing these counts as we can all enter our sightings into eBird to be preserved forever and used for research such as this across the world.
Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
