Subject: Migration?
Date: Feb 25 13:17:15 1996
From: JLRosso at aol.com - JLRosso at aol.com


While having my morning coffee I turned around and realized that there a few
Varied Thrushes in the backyard. Got the binoculars and realized that there
were a few more. Went outside and counted up to about 20 and could hear
others off in the trees. The Dark-eyed Juncos were chasing them from the
junco's recently established territories(?). A Raven flew over ( a first for
my yard) and a couple of Townsend's Warblers flew by. A Hairy Woodpecker was
busy (another first for the yard) and everybody who could sing or call was
doing it. Walked down toward Pine lake and up on top of one of the taller
trees was an adult Bald Eagle. And then I looked around and all the Varied
Thrushes were gone and the Winter Wrens were quiet and the Juncos seem
satisfied that they had defended their territories sufficiently. A glorious
morning that makes me forget the rain for awhile.

For the past two springs I have watched juncos defend territories and have
not seen any sign of nesting. Maybe I am incorrectly identifying the
behavior. But I recognize the song and I watch them chase each other and
other species, around the yard. Do juncos aquire mates on their wintering
territories and then go elsewhere and breed?


Jim Rosso
Issaquah