There are some little birds around here that only visit me in the winter. They spend their summers further north and when I see them hanging out here for the first time each fall I usually feel a slight twinge of sadness.

Their arrival at my feeders are one of the first signs that fall is slipping into winter.

For whatever reason this year there seem to be a lot more than usual, and I’ve been enjoying them hopping around looking adorable.

They are such poofy, round little birds. The males are dark grey and the females are a bit more grey brown. But honestly it’s pretty hard for me to tell them apart. I think all these images are males. And you can tell they are juncos by the pinkish beaks they all sport.

This year instead of resenting their arrival I’ve been enjoying their antics. I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing them too, even if only in this post.

Merry Christmas everyone. May you all have a peaceful holiday.