A neighbor stopped me and asked which bird was calling? I listened and then found five Golden-Crowned Sparrows (GCSP). They're not in my yard yet, darn.

As for the tweeter who asked about all the excitment about fall juncos: I too have them all year around at my present yard--with usually two breeding pairs.
But at my house 28 blocks south, I only had them from September thru March. Always meant winter was on the way.

I didn't even know what the territorial call sounded like. The first spring after I moved, I followed the unidentified trill until I found a proud male Oregon Junco. Imagine my surprise! I thought that they went further northeast (and up in elevation) to breed.


Christine Southwick
clsouthwick at q.com