This thread is getting long, but I'd rather wait until the new year (2012) to start a new thread. That way I avoid problems of naming it - I can start out with 2012 #1. I hope this isn't a problem with loading for too many people. ................................................................................... Nights are getting cold now, even here on the coast, and it's time for lawn dragons to start their annual migration to a warmer clime. The transport vehicle is my new wagon meant to transport heavy stuff from the car to the house. Like big bags of bird seed. The wagon even has little red skis that interchange with the wheels for snowy, icy weather! An early Christmas present. The dragon is now sheltering on my porch, next to the bucket of gloves (also mobile features in my garden). Claire

HTown, don't be too comfortable with them. I've been feeding the ones in our yard off and on for awhile, but I never get too close to them. No matter how "familiar" you may be with them, they still have an instinctive distrust for people and they have the potential to be dangerous. Most people don't like them because they've had bad experiences with them, just like many other types of wildlife that invade or wreak some form of destruction on their property, and that's completely understandable. They can also be aggressive towards pets. I made a point of mentioning to my neighbors that there were raccoons active in our area. If you get to feeding them and slack off, they could move on to another property where they're not as welcome and that could have negative consequences for the neighbor, the raccoon or both. I'm not saying don't feed or enjoy them, but make sure you educate yourself on them before you get into it on a regular or semi-regular basis. Make sure there are no means for them to access your house including the roof and chimney, because once they know where the food is coming from they could try to find an easier way to get to it. It's best not to leave food for them near your house for this reason. One of the first things I did when I knew how much they came around was make sure they couldn't get on our roof from any trees, the area around our deck was sealed, and our chimney cap was secure. I added chicken(Actually smaller gapped fencing than chicken wire) wire around the opening to ensure there was no access.(Something I was going to do anyway to deter the birds that ended up in our living room.) This link I found can cover it a little more indepth. These are just tips, but they can be helpful. Feeding Tips I guess my message is it's fine to enjoy them, but make sure you know what you're getting yourself in for, as there are a few things to consider. :-)

Last week here in Colorado the yellow eyed juncos with the rusty colored back started showing up. today i saw the first of the dark eyed juncos outside. We have had snow in the mountains but just frosts here so far but is a definate change of seasons here.

I have a memory that when I first learned birds that the slate-colored juncos were their own separate species but have now been rolled into one species along with one or two other kinds to become dark-eyed juncos. After looking at the photos on the linked Cornell site, I am amazed that someone figured out that they were all one species, given the regional color differences. I've always liked them (along with Chickadees) because they seem unfazed by cold or windy weather and are out and about regardless.