This page from the Allaboutbirds site may help. I think most if not all of the pictures you posted are Oregon Juncos, but they are all I see except for an occasional Slate-colored Junco.

Out east we don't get all the variations in colors. I believe our males are black and the females are dark gray and that's it.

Richard

Last year I had this bird come to visit. I looked it up in my book andI thought it was a Black Crowned Night Heron. I was later told it looked more like a Green Heron. There are pics of both in my book and I though that the Green Heron had a different shaped head and lighter color. I would like to hear your opinion. Here's the pics. In the forst one he was right outside the kitchen window.

{{!gwi}}

In this one he? is standing on the window sill.

{{!gwi}}

Thanks for any help. Marg

A bit off the original topic but...

The bill on this kid is too long and thin for a night-heron, which have shorter and rather stout bills. Also what appears to be some dark green feathering on the bird in the grass and the size make me think Green Heron.

-O-

Nice shots of the heron. Do you feed it? Judging from its size it looks more like a night heron. The Patuxent Bird ID Center webpage indicates that green herons are 14 inches in length and the night heron 20 inches. This bird looks more like 20 inches. Its obviously not a mature night heron or it would be easy to identify.

Richard

Both Sibley's and Ntl Geographic guides give sizes as 18 and 25 inches respectively for Green Heron and BCNH. Size alone is a tricky thing to go by though, esp with a photo and the hunchy nature of both species.

I'd also expect the eye color to be more orange (on the way to red) in a night-heron. The raised crest in the window picture is also a very Green Heron trait.

-O-

Hi Richard: No I don't feed it. It comes by to hunt for toads and frogs and probably the occasional garter snake! I still see it back in the drainage ditch sometimes. I let the dogs out one night and I didn;t see the heron in front of the house, he's usually in back. Riley (my shepherd) ran up to it and it took off. The shocked look on Riley's face was priceless! The wingspan was probably 4-5'. Marg

The heron looks like a first year, or immature, Great-blue Heron.

See the link below. Notice the dark grey cap, long two-toned beak, and brown edges to gray feathers.

BN

Here is a link that might be useful:

With a wingspan of 4 to 5 feet birding nut could be right that is a great blue heron. How large is the bird? If it looks huge it is probably a blue heron. In the photo it doesn't look huge. Blue herons are roughly 38 inches in length.

Richard

The body of the heron did not seem to be large but the wingspan was. I walked right up to the kitchen counter and saw it on the windowsill. Nosy little guy even started posing for me! Makes me think he is used to being photographed. My guess is that he lives in Wye Marsh Nature Habitat north of us. I started talking to it softly, I doubt that it could hear me, but it never even flinched. If I were to guess I'd say the body was about 20" or so. Marg