Dark-eyed Junco

I finally actually saw a dark-eyed junco today! I'm sure they've been here for a little while now, but while I've seen a lot of white-throated sparrows that have arrived back in their winter home, I hadn't actually spotted a junco until this morning. This one came by for some sunflower seed and I was glad to capture the moment. Interestingly, the white-throated sparrows sing their characteristic song while they're here, even though they're not on their breeding grounds, but I don't think the juncos do. Or at least, I don't know what they sound like and haven't consciously heard them. So I knew the sparrows were back when I heard one first, and then started seeing them a few days later, but I had to wait to actually see a junco. The other bird that sings year round is the Carolina wren. Tufted titmice seem to make a scolding sound year round - and in the summer their "Peter, Peter, Peter" call; and cardinals have a distinctive metallic sort of "chip" that I hear even in the winter, but only sing their song during the breeding season. And the Carolina chickadees say their name year round ("chicka-dee-dee-dee") - with the number of "dees" functioning as a sort of warning communication - but don't sing their proper "song" in the winter. Birds are endlessly fascinating.