Harbingers Of Winter

This morning, October 17, I saw the first junco of the fall-winter season.  This friendly species is associated with the coming of colder weather and snow; it is  nicknamed the snowbird. 

One landed on the deck around 7:00 a.m.

 Junco

http://dnr.wi.gov/wnrmag/html/stories/2004/oct04/junco.htm

More will follow and soon the area around our feeder will have regular junco visitors.  They tend to eat whatever falls out of the feeder rather than landing on it.

Next spring they will in turn announce the coming summer when they disappear from Southeastern Wisconsin until the following autumn.