I became interested in the recent postings about Dark-eyed Junco's and
wondered "what's all the fuss?"  I've taken these little guys for granted
for the last 23 years since they were just a part of the 'feeder crowd' at
our Geauga County home.  This year was special for us because the same pair
of Junco's nested successfully three times in the same nest between bales of
hay in our barn loft, fledging 16+ young.  The nest was lined with horse
tail hair from our horses!
http://picasaweb.google.com/mvalencic/NestingJuncoSMayJuneJuly2009#



So I pulled out my copy of Bruce Peterjohn's The Birds of Ohio and realized
that I'm living in one of the last hotbeds of year-round Junco's in Ohio -
Geauga County and the Chagrin River watershed.  He writes that with the
destruction of the beech-maple forests in the 1800's Junco's became pretty
scarce except in those last vestiges of beech-maple forest and hemlock-lined
ravines (several MetroPark reservations especially along the Chagrin River).
They like forests with dense underbrush (perfectly describes the woods next
to our property) and will often put their nests on the ground.



You folks in Lake County (just north of Geauga) and Holmes County don't see
these birds year-round like we do.  Now I understand the excitement!



I found more newly-fledged Junco's this summer while atlasing in Russell, OH
(also Geauga County).  The adults were kept very busy catching green worms
while the kids jumped around the underbrush and screamed for more!  It
amazes me how attentive the adults are to all the fledglings.



Anyway, another teachable moment for me about an everyday bird!  That's one
of the great things about this listserv.



Matt Valencic

Chagrin Falls, OH




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